Adventures of Magic and Co
by Angel of Hunky-Doryness
Summary: Sequel to Stirrings of Magic. Phoebe is back for her first series of adventures. With new powers and friends, join her on her adventures throughout the Disney Realms as she is tasked with protecting the Crystal of the Magic Kingdom. But being Magic isn't all that it's cracked up to be, and she soon realizes that not everything is as it seems in 'The happiest place on earth.'
1. Chapter 1

**The Angel of Hunky-doryness is back jack.**

 **Due to my absence I am happy to report I will take my time writing this story. So yes Pjo, I will be on the look out and fix my bad grammar. Thanks to all the other reviews on my previous story I will take all of them into account.**

 **I don't own any of the Disney characters nor have I ever claimed to. All my OC's, story ideas, and sarcasm are my own.**

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 _"The plot thickens" - Sherlock Holmes_

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The dark, gloomy, and full of dead people Underworld held some of the most infamous souls from across several worlds; not just the land of Greece. From the greatest poets to the greatest scientists and philosophers; to the greatest kings and queens of old; all who passed on resided in this realm.

But the most famous being living there was the God of the Underworld.

He was considered a loner by several of the gods, especially after his failed takeover of Mount Olympus. Yet since then he had stayed far away from the gods, well except for two instances, but now is not the time or place.

Although what caused those two instances happened when Hades had managed to escape the River Styx. The Lord of the Dead had talked with the many spirits in the river and they came to respect him, and the god did only what he did best.

He made a deal.

One problem though. Many of the ghosts were mindless after millennia of swimming in the soul river. The few that managed to keep their sanity had immediately accepted the Lord of the Dead's offer, and so they aided in his escape.

Since then Hades kept several of them as servants. The head of them was a thin old spirit of a pale man with malignant blue eyes and bone white hair. His face was gaunt and his clothing was always pristine.

Ramsley was his name; he was the former caretaker of Master Gracey of the Haunted Mansion. But after getting the pink slip and thrown out of purgatory, he was one of the spirits that helped Hades escape, and in return he became the head of the household in the Underworld. The only person higher than him in the Underworld palace was Hades and his family.

Ramsley was rather proud of this role and always tried his best to appease the Lord of the Dead, but on this particular week an unexpected boy had come to the Underworld.

Hades gave direct instructions to Ramsley to give the boy whatever he wished, and to bring the boy to Hades whenever he requested. Ramsley had consented of course, but more due to curiosity than respect for his Lord.

On the second day the boy was here, Ramsley had learned the boy's name and always referred to him as 'Master' or 'Master Anthony.'

But on the third, he learned that the boy had unusual behavior when it was night time for mortals. For starters, he changed his appearance. The second he… well acted differently as well, but Ramsley managed to bar him in the first night.

The next night, though, the boy managed to escape.

When Ramsley reported this to Hades, the god immediately called in an expert.

Apparently, the boy was cursed at birth, and every time he fell asleep, the curse would take its course.

At first the old spirit thought the boy was simply struggling with hormones, but when he encountered the other Anthony... There was something strangely malevolent about him.

What was worse was the fact that the boy could control Ramsley!

Thankfully for the old ghost, the 'so-called' expert had come in just in time before the 'other' Anthony could consume his soul.

The expert was a spirit that Ramsley had once known when he was alive and during his purgatory: Madame Leota. The spirit medium was brought into the boy's room by Pain and Panic, still trapped in her crystal ball.

Leota had ignored Ramsley entirely.

Not that Ramsley minded. He hated that old witch, more now after she was dead, and he didn't want her to see him in this bad state.

Panic had set Leota on a stand and she started to talk to the boy, but eventually the 'other' Anthony had sensed a trap, and he tried to crush her prison.

The two imps tried in vain to restrain the boy, and Hades had to intervene. He managed to pin the boy to the wall with the use of his arms, his smoke chains never worked on his son; especially in his demented state.

Quickly, Madame Leota started chanting and slowly the boy fell asleep. His body slumped into his father's arms, who immediately set him down on his bed.

Since that episode, Leota had come to the Underworld Palace regularly to make sure the boy would catch up on sleep. The boy had gradually started to become much healthier, and the dark blue shadows underneath his eyes had long disappeared. He was now in a much more pleasant mood as well, and one could always find him in his room or out and about in the Underworld. Probably exploring, or painting, or several other arts and crafts.

But that was two weeks ago.

The only reason Ramsley was reminded of that day was because he was dusting Hades' table map, and he just happened to see Leota's figurine behind Hades'.

Speaking of his employer, he seemed out of character for the past week. Everywhere he went Hades seemed more upbeat and happier, but more determined about something.

The aforementioned Lord of the Dead stared at the table map, his yellow eyes glowing in concentration. He looked over the many figurines and now and moved them around, planning his next hostile takeover.

But a little figurine of the boy caught his eye and picked it up, moving it behind his own statue.

Looking casually over the board, Hades moved around the figures until he noticed something was amiss. "Ramsley, can you bring Antonius over here? "

Ramsley bowed to his Lord, and immediately appeared into Master Anthony's bedroom.

The room was messy but in an organized way. The mess was organized into separate piles on the floor around the bed. In one area he was building a cube that pulsated a blue light with a sign that read: 'Tessereact don't touch', in another he had sheets of music scattered labeled Don Juan Triumphant, and in another corner, he had a book open with writing on the cover from someone named Melody Malone.

The bed was usually neat and tidy, its cover of solid black was covered dark blue pillows. The boy's empty gallon of water jug stood on the side of the bed. The source of light in the large room came mainly from the small torches hanging from the sides of the walls, and the large lamp shining light onto a comfy armchair in one corner.

But the boy was nowhere to be seen.

Ramsley silently cursed and poofed himself into the center of the Underworld palace, or the 'game room' as the boy called it.

The 'game room' was one of the largest rooms of the palace; it also served as Hades' library where walls were lined with books of every person that had ever lived. Also called the Library of Souls. Anything that anyone had ever written, or said was written according to their respective persons.

The boy had started using this place as his own 'mini sanctuary.' Anthony liked pilfering through the many books and using the library as his music room. Kind of helped that there was an organ in there, but hey.

Ramsley watched as the boy was doing another one of his project.

Anthony was lost in the many different strokes of white and orange and blue strokes of his brush. Today he was using paint, unlike an hour before where he was playing with oil painting. The boy carefully guided the brush to the easel, ignoring the ghost's presence as the painting before him started taking shape.

Ramsley grew impatient and grunted to announce his presence causing the boy to flinch.

Anthony nodded his head toward the ghost, "Sup Ramsley."

The ghost ignored the boy's crude vernacular, "Master Anthony, your father requests your presence in his office immediately."

"Tell him I'm busy," the boy argued as he returned to his work.

Ramsley clenched his fists in rage, if he was alive, one would've heard them pop.

The ghost didn't know whether he should repeat his statement or choke the boy, so he played it safe. "Master Anthony, please, your father doesn't ask for much. Just go to his bloody room before I drag you there myself."

Ramsley's words stopped Anthony mid-brush. The boy gave a wary gaze to the old ghost. "Ram, if you wanted to touch me you could've just said so." He wiggled his eyebrows as he set down his brush and wiped the excess paint on his hands onto his pants. "But you know it's hard for ghosts to grab onto the living."

Ramsley gestured his hand toward the large door at the other end of the library, "Shall we then?"

"What no snarky comment?"

The ghost ignored the boy and once again pointed to the door. Anthony relented and followed the old ghost.

But not before he stared at his now finished painting.

Anthony felt a lump form in his throat at the sight of its image. He instinctively looked away and ran after Ramsley.

For on the painting was an angel engulfed in red flames, falling to the world below.

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When the two arrived in Hades' office(which was not in the actual palace but it's own separate building that overlooked the River Styx), they were greeted with Hades staring longingly at the figure of Persephone.

"Hey Darth Vader, we're here."

Anthony's voice broke through Hades' thoughts and he quickly made the figurine in his hand disappear in a flash of smoke.

The Lord of the Dead spun around and faced his son and the butler guy, "Ramsley, babe. Leave. Family affair thing, shoo"

The old ghost simply nodded and vanished. After several years of working for Hades, he really didn't care if the god insulted him or complimented him. This place was a nice replacement compared to eternal damnation in Tartarus.

Now that the two were alone, Hades motioned for Anthony to approach the table map. "Alright kid, whaddya see?"

"The place where I was born."

Hades cuffed the boy in the back of the head, "Try again flambé man."

Anthony blushed at the name. He rubbed the back of his head as his hair flickered into flame at the hit, but it quickly died down. "It's a table map."

Hades smirked, "See was that so hard? Well anyway, _yes_ , you were born here. I see your mumzy liked telling you everything about the Underworld, but..." he trailed off. "This is my map of all the realms combined, all my plans wrapped into one big schmamiel."

"But," he emphasized, "It's seems I'm missing a piece, so can you make me one?"

Anthony gave Hades a deadpan look, "You mean you made me stop what I was doing to make one of your stupid little dolls?"

Hades' smirk grew, "I want one of your little girlfriend."

Anthony flinched and his hair burst into flames in shock, his face turning a deep shade of red. The boy quickly pat down his hair, stopping the spread of the flames. "She… we barely talked for five minutes I hardly think that makes her-"

Hades chuckled, interrupting his son's rant, "Do you really think I don't watch you? I saw you guys underneath the bridge when you were grabbing the rest of your stuff. And let me just say son, your flirting was bad. I got to teach you better than that."

Anthony looked at the ground in embarrassment. He crossed his arms and in mild defiance exclaimed, "She hugged me."

Hades scoffed, "And Demeter kisses your cheek every time she sees ya. Let me just spell it out for you: friend zone... die alone... never break your cur-"

Anthony roared, "Dammit dad I get it!"

The room became silent.

It had been a two weeks since he last saw Phoebe and when he had given Belle the vial of Lethe water. The boy hated the fact that he agreed to wipe her memory, but as always Belle was right. Phoebe needed to concentrate on herself and her new responsibilities.

Anthony had learned about the winged girl's rise to power from spying around the Realms, but other than that, Phoebe was in good hands. Yet it seemed Hades knew something that Anthony didn't.

"Why the sudden interest in Phoebe?" Anthony blurted out. But he quickly cursed himself for showing weakness. _Smooth... Number one rule in being a villain: never show feeling._

Hades held his hands out in front of him in surrender, "Oh nothing, you know just the fact that the other Villains seem to have a personal vendetta against her, and it seems she's gonna play a pretty major role in the upcoming events here. And hey she has a way with making _lots_ of enemies."

Anthony narrowed his eyes, "Is that so… Making a threat, father?"

Hades put a hand to his chest in a mock offensive manner, "Me make threats? Wow, that would be low even for me. Noooo, if anything it seems I'm the only villain, who can make sure she's alright…"

"But," Hades lifted a finger, "It seems I can't make plans to help her since I don't have a figurine of her."

Hades inwardly grinned when he saw his son give him a very steely death stare as he sighed in defeat.

"I really wish you could go crawl into a hole and die."

Hades laughed, as he summoned a white rectangle stone, "Sephy said the same thing when we first met. Lot of spunk that one."

The Lord of the Dead handed the stone to his son, who quickly started using his Leatherman to carve a small statue of Phoebe.

The task was easy, all art came easily to Anthony and in minutes, a smooth figurine of the girl complete with wings was placed in the center of the table map. Unlike an angel in a cemetery, the statue had a defiant look on her face, and her hands were placed proudly on her hips as she stared at nothing.

Hades' chuckle permeated through the silence, "So let the games begin."

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 **A note on Ramsley. He was the main antagonist from the movie Haunted Mansion, it starred Eddie Murphy, and I swear I have seen that movie five times( I bet you thought I was going to say a thousand). If you haven't seen it, I don't blame you, but it is an interesting movie to watch. I still consider it a personal fave, but hey.**

 **Reviews and faves will boost me to work harder and update more faster.**

 **Angel of H-dness is out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1: Sparknotes**

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 _"Uuuuuuuuuuuur Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhr urhhhhhhhhhhh argh" - Chewbacca_

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Hello my descendants, your matriarch has returned!

Sorry about the last chapter not being written by me, but Anthony is such a girl when he can't write things that happened to him.

So I gave him a chance.

See kids? I'm a nice person. Don't believe anything of what Cyrus tells you. He's my chaos-kid.

Dear God I have no idea how that one happened. I didn't even know I was pregnant with him until I started going into labor.

Longest forty-eight hours of my life.

Actually no, my wedding was the longest forty-eight hours... I think. Let's just say that that day, more than one person was replaced by a copycat. 'Nuff said.

Anyway, while I've been gone; let's just say my eldest daughter has been going through a tough stage. Her ex-boyfriend turned out to be a fake and he tried to kill her and... stuff.

At least my two eldest sons, Jake and Erik(my rebel son as I've mentioned before) were there to stop him. But it was Diana who ultimately dealt with her 'boyfriend.'

She's had trouble dealing with the recent betrayal, but at least she's starting to trust me more. Seventeen was a hard year for me as well, and thankfully she has parents there to support her with her own excursions.

She reminds me so much of me and her father. His spirit and my tongue. It's a terrible combination. I'm just glad it helps her cope.

Anyway since I bet you guys would be bored of my first three weeks of Magic lessons, I'm going to give you the Spark notes version. I'm sure you've used it before; it saved me many a English test in the past, and it'll lead to my first challenge as the new Council Leader and... well being Magic.

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To say that things were going well would be an extreme lie, but then again to say that things were going badly would be an inaccurate description of the lengths Yen Sid has gone to train me.

For one thing he was a marvelous teacher, but my attention span hated to admit it. I didn't directly tell him this, though.

One: because I didn't want to make it seem like he was doing a good job, and two: it would show that I was paying attention.

But remember this is fifteen year old me, just going through hormones and acne, and experiencing very painful processes that meant I was becoming a woman...

At least I started developing some very useful features like hips. Jeez, they're amazing. They help me climb over walls and stuff, and man did they help deliver my seven kids.

So after the whole 'princess debacle,' I had to go back to my regular old life., but at night I would go to Magic lessons.

The first week of learning was easy. We focused on breathing exercises and things I never did again in my entire life.

Yeah it was a waste, but Yen Sid thought it would work for the 'troubled teenage mind' or something. I'm paraphrasing mind you, it's freaking Sparknotes here.

The second week was when things intensified.

I had to learn the simple telekinesis, or what every magic user could do. But I like to call it the Force, but Yen Sid was all like, "Phoebe the Force is completely different from Magic,"

And I was all like, "Keep telling yourself that, Sid."

But in the end I was wrong, it's not Magic it's... I'll save it for later.

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"Alright Phoebe all you have to do is lift the feather," Yen Sid instructed. The wizened old wizard plucked a feather from my wings, and set it down on the table in front of me.

I raised my hand, and easily the feather rose two feet.

"Excellent Phoebe, " the sorcerer praised. "Now lift the apple."

I did just that.

To the tenth power.

I overestimated the weight, and the apple flew toward one of the glass windows.

And that is why Yen Sid doesn't have any more glass windows. Or apples for that matter.

Giving up on telekinesis for a while, we moved onto a different lesson.

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The third week I started elemental magic.

Yen Sid thought I should start with air since I had wings, and he was all like, "Why shouldn't a creature of the sky not know wind magic?"

So we did just that.

"Alright Phoebe," Yen Sid pointed to a little plant with small leaves. "This time you can't break anything since you broke all the windows. Now make a mini breeze."

"Okay!" I cheerfully responded.

Spoiler alert, I didn't make a small breeze.

Instead, I created a large wind that picked up all of Yen Sid's books and papers, sending them out the open windows to the sea below.

See this wouldn't have happened if Yen Sid still had glass windows.

But Yen Sid is the biggest cheapskate I knew. For one thing I had to use Mickey Mouse's old apprentice robe.

What was worse though was the fact that it didn't fit that bad. Ah, the advantages of being short. JK.

* * *

 **Three days later.**

Yen Sid couldn't win here.

Well at least he had the books and papers water proof since Mickey Mouse, so I wasn't the first to mess up all his stuff.

Yen Sid had decided to try something more stable. So we had focused on earth. And let's just say; not one of his brightest ideas.

So instead of three days, it was one day of actual learning, and the next two going to the hospital; hoping he would wake up.

Which he did, but not in a very happy mood, mind you.

I met a cute marshmallow robot though. His name is Baymax, he helped nurse Yen Sid back to health.

Thank goodness Belle was visiting.

So we then moved onto water. Something the sorcerer considered to be the 'easiest to teach his students.'

But when we started water, Yen Sid learned his lesson from our previous attempts. He should after three weeks, but it was absolutely no fun for me.

"Alright Phoebe lift the drop," Yen Sid commanded.

I gave the sorcerer a dead pan look, "Yen Sid, what freaking drop?"

Yen Sid looked over my shoulder and gazed at the drop-less table, "Oh sorry about that."

With a wave of his hand, a drop had materialized onto the table. "Alright child, move it."

It was the easiest freaking thing I ever did, magically. Nobody died, got injured, maimed, and I didn't break any property damage.

When Yen Sid had turned his back, I created several more water drops out of thin air and I started moving them around, much more easily than earth and air.

Unlike earth, water wasn't as stubborn and flowed with whatever you decided. Air was different in how you couldn't see anything, and something that is free is too obdurate to control.

To tell you the truth it was probably the easiest type of Magic I learned. Mickey Mouse told me it was because I was moody with a hint of resilience.

I laugh now, but he was right. Ah, the teenage years were fun. The hormones weren't. My friends didn't help. And Yen Sid...

Well he knew how to ruin a good time. Like my first date, but hey.

When Yen Sid saw me playing with the water droplets, I swear he had a heart attack.

He had immediately collected the water droplets in the air, and he sent me to the corner. I had to think of 'what could've gone wrong.'

He later told me he didn't want me to be acquainted with solely one thing so we turned to the last element.

Fire.

And you know what the old sorcerer gave me?

He gave me a leaf.

He lit the center of the freshly-plucked leaf, and he told me to keep the flame contained.

I thought it was simple enough until I realized I could not control the flame. The fire had eaten the leaf as quickly as it came into my hands, and my apprentice robes were suddenly on fire.

So I did the only logical thing at that moment.

I jumped out the window. There was a large ocean underneath so I would be quickly doused of the flames.

I don't know why I did it. I was fifteen and I had become the human torch; it was a pretty reasonable decision at the time.

At least I landed safely in the sea below, and man did it put out the flames.

But that day I learned two things!

Number one: I found my mark: exiting by jumping out of windows(it becomes less dangerous when I can fly, trust me), and number two: I couldn't control fire.

And in Yen Sid's eyes, I was deemed a complete failure.

But let me tell you it helped bring me closer to the next chapter in my life.


	3. Ticking off your teacher

**Chapter 2: Ticking off your Teacher or Creating a Bigger Mess Then You Started Off With**

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 **Hope you like the chapter and good luck finding all my references!**

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 _"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away, behold, new things have come!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17_

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For four weeks it was the same thing over and over again. After four stinking weeks of controlling her gift, Yen Sid was not at _all_ satisfied with any of Phoebe's progress.

Well except for a few things like telekinesis and limited elemental magic, and you know, accidentally creating huge problems for her Master. Then I guess you could say, Phoebe was doing splendidly. But since creating a big mess for him caused A: anxiety, B: rage, and C: bigger problems with the Council of Magic.

Excuse me the Council she's supposed to lead.

For four weeks, Phoebe had not received an ounce of sleep. For every night when she's supposed to be asleep, a swirling white vortex would appear in her closet, summoning her to "Hogwarts Padawan Training," as Drew would call it.

Speaking of Drew, bless her heart, the first time the portal appeared she screamed bloody murder. She at first had not believing a word of what her sister had told her of her 'adventures in the Realms' (as all those living there would call it).

Phoebe wasn't lying nor was she exaggerating about her adventurous night, but when the "swirling vortex of death" had appeared in the room (another term Drew came up with) the next night, she immediately ate her words.

Really if it wasn't for Drew, Phoebe would be dead meat. If her parents even heard a breath about her nightly rendezvous with sorcerers, talking animals, and, oh yeah inanimate objects that talked, the two would be so dead... Or worse grounded!

That first night, Phoebe showed Drew her new wings, and like expected she most likely had an aneurysm, but at least she didn't scream this time(in horror). Well let's just say Drew was jumping up and down like a fan girl who got her fictional crush for Christmas.

"You have wings?! And you didn't tell me?!"

Phoebe had rolled her eyes, "Yes because I was clearly born with them, and I purposefully chose never to reveal them. That's why I never wore a bathing suit." Her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well then," Drew had started petting one of her wings gently like a little kitten. "Can you feel my hand?" She had asked, still gazing in wonder at the new limbs as they stretched out fully. Easily taking the entire space of their bedroom.

"Of course I can feel them," she had snapped. Phoebe's face contorted when she saw her sister looking in fear at her.

Phoebe suddenly felt guilty, "Look I'm sorry kid." The winged girl sighed, "I didn't mean to snap at you, but-" her voice changed to a cheery tone. "To answer your question, it's like feeling water on your hands, or having an itch on your nose. It's part of a whole now, and to tell you the truth I feel complete now." Phoebe stretched the wings in front of her face.

Drew had scrunched her face in confusion at her sister, "What do you mean?"

Phoebe gave Drew a weak smile, "Well, you know how I've always had dreams of flying?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"One time I had a dream about two months before how I was swimming underwater, and then I jumped out of it. I had started to fly into the sky and I had wings, just like these…" Her voice had drifted off wondering truly how long Magic had been inside of her; waiting to come out.

If what Vanessa said was true, it had been since the moment she was born. And like Yen Sid had told her the first week of her lesson, everyone had Magic inside of them. Some born with large amounts, others with tiny amounts.

Yet the people with the small amounts(most everyone), their Magic leaked. It may have been during childhood, or it might have been that perfect date, or even that lucky day that you can't explain.

Dreams apparently worked the same way but in different aspects.

Magic always leaked. Inventions and whatnot had been prime examples of that, but what had been her leakage? Phoebe had rightly been born with the very quiddity of it, and that in turn showed up on occasion- well dangerous occasions that could spell out certain doom.

Training was meant to sort of act as a way to control the Magic and cause less destruction than warranted.

For the past month, Yen Sid had been so far her only teacher. Mostly because everyone else had been busy with a sudden spike of crime or whatever; Phoebe doesn't pay any attention at those meetings, so she was left in the dark.

And let's not even mention the fact that she was cheating! Because Phoebe goes to training, she mostly absorbs Magic training and not biology or geometry like any normal student.

So, to reciprocate, let's just say she's gotten very good at memory skills… or excuse me memory spells, being Magic was really fun at times… For example the number pi is as followed: 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375 and well… You know the rest…

Yeah, some of Yen Sid's spells weren't for the faint of heart… And let's just say some Magic was forbidden for a reason… Cheese was apparently an element… 'nuff said.

Anyway, another thing the girl has had to deal with was, cough, cough her wings. Yeah… well because she doesn't have enough time for pretty much anything… That kind of meant that she hadn't had any time to learn how to fly…

Turns out flying was not an 'instinct' thing, but actual training!

Who freaking knew?

But guess what?

Who is currently stuck in an old decrepit castle- filled with animated broomsticks( not cartoon animated, the other meaning, although if you think about it both actually work out), and being trained by a man... At least I think he's human. Who doesn't even let me go out and see any of her new friends!

And they're Disney freaking princesses! Who wouldn't want to hang out with them, or go on adventures that they promised. The only contact Phoebe had this entire month, was Belle, but only because she occasionally comes over delivering a spell book that Yen Sid needs (Hence the hospital visit).

Apparently Belle has the largest collection of books about Magic. Oh and she runs the Disney Library so go figure.

 _I personally thought it was Alice._

 _Again, kidding. It's like you guys don't know me._

Smack!

"Ow," she muttered.

Phoebe sunk onto the ground below as reality came flowing back. She groaned as she straightened out her wings. The girl steadily rose back to her feet and she started to smooth down the messy feathers that had made contact with the floor.

For the past three hours, yep Yen Sid had been teaching her elemental fire magic... again.

And since the first three hours failed with her getting a few burns and her robe singed(again). The sorcerer had decided Phoebe should try to make the flames stand still.

For the past three hours!

While floating, mind you. Not that hard actually, but the flames were. For some reason the flame hated her so much that it threw her and Yen Sid, in there floating position, to the wall on the other side of the room.

The jerky flame... Phoebe hated fire with a- you could say- burning passion! Again sorry it had to be done.

"Hey Yen Sid, any other smart ideas?" Phoebe snapped, as she dusted off the ash on her velvet robe. It was new since she had burned the other one

Yen Sid wiped off the ash from his eyes, leaving a clean spot, "Phoebe I do not appreciate your sarcasm-"

"You and the rest of the world," the girl muttered to herself as she tried in vain to dust off the ash.

"I have repeatedly told you," the sorcerer continued, "Magic is not simple-"

"Well I knew that!" Phoebe snapped, her green eyes pulsed with rage. "But you know I hate fire magic!"

Yen Sid sighed in sympathy, "Phoebe if magic was easy then Elsa would have controlled her power long before she was a child. Emotions are key, princess-"

The winged girl cut off the sorcerer, "You're using that word again! I am not a princess sir, and I would appreciate it if you stopped reminding me!"

For some reason, every time Yen Sid was teaching her, he would accidentally let the 'p' word slip, and as a result: Phoebe got more ticked off than usual.

Yen Sid rolled his eyes in annoyance, "I deeply apologize for using an 'insulting word' in your presence, apprentice!" His voice oozed with sarcasm, probably getting it from his outspoken pupil.

"But like I said in the past," the sorcerer reminded her. "In order for you to be prepared for your position as Magic, you must learn all forms of it. Even if that includes dark!"

Yen Sid angrily started walking around the room, picking up all sorts of thingamabobs. He then proceeded to the middle of the room where a smooth cylinder of stone jutted out of the ground, and on top of it was a human-like skull.

The sorcerer started positioning the thingamabobs around the skull, and then he placed both of his hands on it. Not even once did he look up from his work, but his voice still remained loud and reprimanding, "Maleficent; curse that witch, but she is right. You must learn all forms of Magic and even create more types!"

"The world has already long suffered not having Magic in the different realms, and without someone with the power and authority to give and take it away. We who were born with magic powers are abusing it, or not even using it at all!"

"Look at Rapunzel; she could have healed countless people. Now I do not blame Mr. Fitzherbert for cutting off her hair. He had to; considering the situation, but because her Magic is gone, she is no longer able to create or even manifest any sun magic in the world. And the powers that may have lingered on are no longer left. It takes a great deal of power to bring back the dead. Not even most of the gods can bring them back!"

Yen Sid's voice changed from angered to more softer and ridden with guilt. "The fact that a human, or a mortal, has a power over life and death is great in itself. Yet because the princess was unable to use it on two, or even three people, the world has suffered without its gifts."

Yen Sid looked up from the still not glowing skull, he paused from his spell, "And one of the greatest sins in the world Phoebe, is not using the gifts that Fate has given us."

"That's oddly foreboding Yen Sid," Phoebe alleged, as he continued his work on the glowing skull.

The wizened old sorcerer forlornly looked away from the skull, "Forgive an old man on his ramblings... I have seen much and already said too much- Oh wait-" He pointed to the book shelf behind his apprentice. "Do you mind grabbing me that book up there it's on the shelf behind you."

Phoebe rolled her eyes as she followed his finger, "Sure Sid. Try and change the subject," she grumbled.

The winged girl hated it when Yen Sid changed subjects like that. He would go on and on about the past, but when a touchy subject comes up, he immediately changed the subject.

So she knew following his orders meant the subject was over.

On the wall of the large room there was a large rotting old bookcase that still managed to hold the great weight of the ancient volumes. The boards bended underneath the heavy spell books, and on one shelf held the legendary Sorcerer's Hat.

The hat glowed a blue aura, its velvet, royal blue surface looked almost brand new. The stars and crescent moon glowed an eggshell white. Any child even barely familiar with Disney could remember this particular symbol.

When Mickey Mouse was merely an apprentice of Yen Sid a long time ago, the mouse had dared to wear it. The hat not only intensified one's magic but that of their Dream powers as well. The mouse had realized that too late when he tried both sets of Magic and Dream powers.

When Yen Sid discovered him, he knew that Mickey had not reached the height of the Hat's powers. So while Mickey was dreaming he rose the water level more so the water could separate the hat and mouse.

Yen Sid had shown up though and once the hat was off, he quickly receded the water

So Yen Sid tried to kill Mickey Mouse. The sorcerer wouldn't say that outwardly, but when he told Phoebe the story, the girl drew that particular conclusion.

Phoebe turned to the bookshelves behind her. After much pilfering through, and using big books to give her extra height, she located what she was looking for: The Legend of the Sorcerer's Hat by a Sir Mouse and Walt Disney, and a foreword by Yen Sid.

The girl set the book in front of Yen Sid, and she placed the hat unceremoniously on the bald part of his head. "Thank you my dear," Yen Sid whispered.

He opened the large book, and turned to page 1,394. "You see when the Sorcerer's Hat came to me... Many, many years before. I had naturally put it on.

But when I put it on, I noticed it was wet, and on closer inspection I learned the shocking truth. They were tears. The last tears of Dreams. The hat was of Magic's creation, but the power behind it is that of Onarios'." Yen Sid sighed and then turned to Phoebe.

"The Sorcerer's Hat is a way of balancing my Magic. You see many of us magic users we unfortunately don't have a deep connection with Dreams, and that leaves us vulnerable to the other side of the spectrum. Although for people with Dream powers, they use the hat to balance their Magic."

"It's a Yin and Yang, sun and moon, water and fire, light and dark, earth and air. Everything has its opposite and let's just say the Sorcerer's Hat is the balance. A balance represents something that is both sides of the spectrum, not exactly a true neutral, but an in-between. The very first balance was Vanessa and Onarios' love. But since their deaths, it has been the Hat, hence why the hat is so coveted."

"But for the past several millennia, the Hat has not had something to truly balance."

"Well until you came back, child." He rested his large hand on the girl's shoulder. "I know I'm treating you harshly. More than I should, but I went through a lot in the past few millennia, and hard work is not learned easily. Nor discipline."

Yen Sid lifted Phoebe's face, "You remind me a lot of my little Astrea," he chuckled throatily and turned back to the skull. He made tugging motion with his hands, like a maestro conducting his orchestra during the big crescendo. "She never listened much to Magic lessons, as well."

Yen Sid's eyes never left the skull as he continued the motions with his hand, "Ah, it's always the hat that summons her."

Phoebe looked up into the sorcerer's face, "What do you mean?" But before the sorcerer could explain, a rainbow of colors exploded out of the skull, making the girl flinch as the room was flooded in light.

The girl scrunched her face as she looked up at the thing now floating above the skull: a giant rainbow butterfly. Phoebe reached her hand out to touch it, but her hand passed through its wing.

"Oh, it's so pretty." Phoebe stared in awe as the butterfly flew in circles around her. "What's it doing anyway, Yen Sid?"

"Ah, you see this is Vanessa's symbol is it not?" Yen Sid guided the butterfly with his hands.

"Well this spell is particularly tough to accomplish; one that took me years to create. It's supposed to detect types of powers inside anything; and for some reason has a strange addiction to marshmallows," The sorcerer mused.

The butterfly landed on the table, next to the skull.

"Alright Amalthea, what do you see?" Yen Sid stepped away, and he made a silent motion to his apprentice.

A tinkling choir of bells rang out of what Phoebe guessed was the butterfly's mouth, but for some reason the girl understood every little sound. "Yen Sid, why can I understand it?"

The sorcerer whispered as he stared intently at the butterfly as her wings turned blue, "Magic is the very basis of the language of Fairy; it's only natural that you can understand it."

The specter then flew up to Yen Sid's face. "Well done my dear, so it seems the apprentice knows more magic than she lets on." The sorcerer lightly pretended to stroke the butterfly, knowing he can't touch his creation.

"What are you talking about Yen Sid?" Phoebe looked skeptically at the butterfly, and without even thinking thrust her hand and grabbed the butterfly.

Instead of her hand passing through like before, Phoebe felt something solid and real, but the butterfly slowly started to disappear. "Yen Sid! what's happening?!"

The butterfly started passing into her hand, as it was absorbed Yen Sid watched with curiosity, not fear. He knew something like this would happen, but he didn't exactly know when.

Phoebe fell to the floor as colors enveloped her vision.

The vision ended as quickly as it started. The winged girl looked around the room in confusion, "What just happened?"

"Now Phoebe," he started as he brought her back to her feet. "What you did was first of all very foolish, but unfortunately, something like this was bound to happen."

Phoebe unsteadily walked to the center of the room and leaned against the stone table as she groaned, trying to get her bearings. "Whaddya mean was bound to happen, Sorcerer?"

"Well you see we've never had Magic back since… Well the last Magic, but one of the powers Vanessa had was osmosis magic. In other words she could absorb power from anyone, but that means she could also give power to others."

Phoebe stared confused at her master. The sorcerer sighed and in dumb speech said, "You can give and take away power."

"Oh, that makes sense. Why didn't you say so in the first place?"

Phoebe stretched her back and her wings. "What's so wrong with that? doesn't that make me super-ultra-mega awesome-spectacularly powerful? No wonder the Villains wanted to stay in control of me, they want power don't they?"

Yen Sid couldn't help but smile at Phoebe, "No, unfortunately that power is more of a curse than a gift."

He turned to his student and took off his hat diminishing what was left of the butterfly. "Do you know what this spell can do Phoebe?"

The girl gave Yen Sid a wary look and replied, "It can tell you what types of power is hidden inside people and objects…"

Phoebe whispered remembering the power coming into her bloodstream. "But it also can tell the past, present or even future…" she drifted off as she looked into the sorcerer's silver eyes.

"And what did you see child?" His voice sounded grave and somber.

Phoebe hesitated, "I saw me when I first got my wings, and then I-I saw me flying off into the sunset... Cheesy I know."

Yen Sid's eye gained a knowing glint, "Oh I don't think so… You see you're in a place where dreams come true, and what you saw was something _Dreams_ wanted you to see."

Please," Phoebe scoffed, "Are you telling me that that butterfly was Dreams? I thought butterflies were Magic's thing?"

Yen Sid laughed, "Magic and Dreams are what formed all the worlds, chaos happens to be one of their children."

"Haha," Phoebe laughed sarcastically. "But where did that butterfly go anyway?"

"You tell me Phoebe," Yen Sid smirked.

Phoebe was about to say something, but she decided against it.

Instead the sorcerer spoke, "But about this power of osmosis. You see what I most feared about that power is because if you ever get into a magical battle, you can accidentally absorb the magic by it simply touching you. If you battle a dark sorcerer, you might accidentally take some of his magic and that magic is Dark. You could become heavily affected by this exposure to evil and could drive darkness into your mind."

Yen Sid continued, "As simple as touching a poisonous mushroom. The effects of which can lead you feeling miserable, but perhaps I can teach you to control absorbing such Magic with-" Yen Sid was cut off as Phoebe angrily finished in a gruff voice, trying to imitate her master.

"Constant training and supervision." Yen Sid shook his head as he looked bemused at his student.

"Look sir, I understand that I need to control these powers, but don't you think that I should probably wing it," she punctuated by lifting her wings.

Her tone became more persuasive as she used something her English teacher called logos. "And didn't everyone who had magic learn to use it by themselves? Like Elsa she figured it out- took her twenty-one years but she got it-"

Last week Drew and Phoebe had begged their parents to go see the movie Frozen at their town's only movie theater. The sisters were thoroughly pleased with the way it turned out.

"Also wasn't there Jafar? How did he get so good at his powers? I mean come on?! The guy becomes the most powerful sorcerer in the world and he masters it just like that?!" Phoebe snapped her fingers to prove her point.

"If all those guys could do all that by feeling and testing it out. How am I the FREAKING embodiment of Magic not be able to control this gift?!" Phoebe yelled, as her wings bristled.

Yen Sid laughed in spite of the situation he was in. Being told off by his student was usually something he didn't like, but the girl did prove a point. Behind all that venom, sarcasm, and crude language; she was unusually wise. The very gift he gave her those many years ago.

But giving a girl with phenomenal cosmic powers freedom to do as she wished, could cause problems. Now, giving a teenage girl with phenomenal cosmic powers and a very, very moody personality freedom, well that will cause mass death and destruction. It was a good thing she had a heart though. Got to give Esmeralda props for finding a confirmation.

The only problem now though, the sorcerer thought, was what would be the girl's first plan of mastering magic? Would it just be running around on adventures and succumb to Disney syndrome? or would she cause chaos that could ruin her already tarnished reputation?

 _Hmm, I think it's time that I call in a few favors from around the Realms… If Phoebe is going to get around the Realms and Parks it's time for her to get a mode of transportation._

* * *

Tired of waiting for a response from her master, Phoebe proceeded to the window and watched as the stars said their good-bye for the night. The winged girl sighed in thought, wondering when her first adventure would begin. All she needed was a chance, an opportunity really, to strut her feathers and show the world who that girl is that outsmarted all those Villains barely a month ago.

 _"_ _When will my life begin,"_ she sang.

A voice quickly broke through the silence and gave an unwelcome announcement, "Well, that was all you needed to say!"

Phoebe looked around confused, something about that voice was awfully familiar. She stuck her head farther out the window and looked up, trying to find the source of the voice.

And there sitting above the window was a boy with elvish features, wearing a green skin-tight leotard. A little spot of light encircled him, highlighting more of his boyish features and that devilish grin of his.

The girl gasped as she realized who this was. "By Jove, it's Peter Pan!" she said in a British accent. _Well that was new._

Peter jumped off the window and lazily floated in front of the girl, getting a better look of the 'new girl.'

"Hey, I've heard of you," he exclaimed, pointing his finger at her. "You're the only thing the fairies are talking about! I mean come on it's usually me!"

Phoebe scowled, "Well I'm sorry for being such a disappointment."

The girl felt slightly downhearted for getting mocked by her childhood crush. _Oh come on every little girl had a crush on him once!_

Peter smiled mischievously knowing he was getting to her. "Oh it's alright, after all it's not your fault that you're a girl," he said with plain disgust.

Tinker Bell angrily flew around Peter's face and yelling all sorts of obscenities at the immortal boy.

Phoebe could understand every little curse word flying out of the sassy pixie's mouth and couldn't help but giggle in surprise. And everyone thought Phoebe was bad! _Wow I am never going to get the award for sassiness with this fairy._

"But, _Tink!_ You never get mad when I'm mean to other girls!"

A few more harsh tinkling came out of Tink's mouth, causing Peter to pout his lips and cross his arms in defiance. He was acting like an abused child, but then again hearing language like that, she couldn't blame him.

"So what if she saved you from that codfish's ship!" Peter Pan huffed. "At least I tried to save you! Doesn't that count a little?!"

"Tinker Bell!" Phoebe shouted. The pixie turned to the winged girl, who had moved to sit on the ledge of the window. "It's alright, Peter's just being himself. You don't have to protect me. I'm a big strong girl, who can tie my own shoelaces and everything."

Tink momentarily turned from bow tie red back to normal, and gave Peter one last look before she sat down in Phoebe's open palm.

Peter pouted again but chose not to comment.

To change the subject, Phoebe asked a question that had been bothering her for some time.

"So guys what are y'all even doing here? I thought you can't cross dimensions unless you have permission from the Mouse?"

"Well you see," Peter Pan started, giving Phoebe a wary look. He flew down to her level and lifted one of his eyebrows. "I can do whatever I please! No laws or rules can stop me from doing what I want! And what I want is to see what all the hubbub is with this new Magic! But now that I see her, I wonder what the big deal is… Seeing that she can't even fly!"

Phoebe felt her blood boil and the Magic rise up inside of her, wanting so hard to unleash it upon the unsuspecting boy. But she had to play it cool, she told herself. He was trying to manipulate her and give him a good reason to be a jerk.

So she played it logically, "Hey I haven't even been allowed out of this castle for the past month, save for school! Plus," she added, a glint appeared in her green eyes.

"It seems that I have yet to find a teacher worthy of teaching me."

Phoebe's smirk, grew as she saw Peter's face turn green with disgust. "I've been getting countless offers from Dumbo, the Blue Fairy, the woodland birds, the Enchanted Tiki room guys, and even the Magic Carpet and I just accepted Dumbo's request," she lied.

"What?!" Peter cried out in horror. "You mean you're getting flying lessons from an elephant?! They can't even fly-"

Peter was cut off as Phoebe argued, "Yes they can. At least Dumbo can. After all he does have appendages that can help him fly ya know… Unlike you being able to do all that flying without a pair of wings!"

Phoebe flipped her hair back dramatically as she saw his face slowly rise with rage.

"So I said to myself the other day," the girl continued, she started moving her shoulders back and forth as if she was in deep thought.

"Why do I need Pan to teach me how to fly when all he knows how to do is: pretend to fly? When I really know you use pixie dust. That's why I'm getting a _professional_ flight instructor to teach me and not a child… After all who wants to bother with a kid who knows nothing about-" Phoebe was cut off as Peter grabbed her wrist, pulling her off of the ledge of the window.

And Peter flew up higher, Phoebe in hand, over Yen Sid's castle.

Phoebe looked down at the castle, and couldn't help but gulp.

Okay so this worked too well.

"Not so tough are ya huh, _girl_?" Peter smirked as he felt her squeeze his hand more tightly.

"Okay, yes I was wrong to lie sorry about that, but can you not let me DIE!" Phoebe screamed as she felt Peter's grip on her loosen.

Tinker Bell who had been sitting peacefully in Phoebe's hand flew up to Peter's face. The little light waved her hands and tried to talk Peter out of letting her go.

"Go away Tink, someone needs to be taught a lesson."

"That's exactly what I think…." Phoebe hissed as she herself let go of Peter's hand, and plummeted to the castle turrets below, but she managed to cuff him hard with one of her wings.

Phoebe felt once again gravity work against her; her wings unfurled themselves and tried to catch the wind. She flapped her wings instinctively and with a few flaps she managed to stay afloat, but her wings still couldn't keep to the same rhythm.

"GUYS! A LITTLE HELP OVER HERE!"

"Hey that's not fair!" Peter shouted as he looked at Phoebe fall. "You're supposed to beg me to put you back on land."

Sudden realization hit Peter that Phoebe couldn't fly and she was accepting her fate. "Tink dust her!"

Phoebe could feel the sense of dread enter her as she neared the castle spires. This was going to seriously hurt. If she survived.

"Hey girl? Need a lift?" Peter shouted as he grabbed the back of her cloak and lifted her away from the long metal spike.

Phoebe sighed in relief as she was lifted away from the metal spire. Peter settled her back onto the window edge where she had been sitting peacefully a moment before.

Yen Sid saw his student back on the ledge and wondered what the devil was going on. "Phoebe what's-" The sorcerer's eyes widened at the sight of the young boy. "Pan is that you?"

The sorcerer hadn't seen the boy since the last time he was in trouble.

Which was yesterday.

Let's just say stealing from a candy store is not as bad as it seems... Unless you steal the whole store, then, yes, that usually constitutes as bad.

Especially if the humans notice. Good thing they put renovating pictures over the store to give the illusion that the shop was still there.

The Cast members were used to these things happening, at least they cooperated with them and they rarely complained. All Yen Sid had to do was make the inside look the same and nobody would notice.

"Why yes it is me, sorcerer!" Peter happily replied as if he didn't just try to kill somebody. "So how's teaching the girl turning out?"

Yen Sid sighed not wanting to tell another person his student's process. "Fine… But you know what Pan..." An idea was forming in that wizened old head, "Do you remember that favor you owed me?"

Pan groaned, "Yes I remember… But I honestly don't know why you'd want to bring that up… So whaddya want?"

"Well I see you're already acquainted with my apprentice," Yen Sid gave Phoebe a _shut up_ look as he continued, "Why don't you start giving Phoebe flying lessons."

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "Ugh sir, we kinda already tried that and I don't think it ended well." The girl suddenly shivered as she had a mental image of herself getting impaled.

"Bah," Yen Sid exclaimed, "You're only angry that you were outsmarted by a little boy."

Phoebe was about to argue but he continued, "Anyway I've called every flyer in the Realms to come to Neverland to properly teach you how to fly. And it looks like we have your first instructor!"

Phoebe's mouth fell open, "Dear God, Yen Sid don't tell me it's-"

"Pan," Yen Sid declared.

"I hate it when I'm right…" Phoebe grumbled as she crossed her legs.

"Oh, ya mean it, doc?" Peter glided into the room and high-fived his shadow. "I've never had a student before… Can I yell at them and beat them with a stick?!"

Yen Sid did a face palm, "No Pan, I think Phoebe would grab that stick and stab you with it…"

Phoebe chortled as she got off the ledge and into Yen Sid's castle, "Yen Sid, can I say that I love you! But wait a minute." The winged girl looked outside the window and noticed that the sun had just peaked it's golden head over the sea.

"I have school in an hour, and I haven't even slept for a month! Are we going right now?!"

Pan laughed and did a few cartwheels in midair, "School? What a funny thing to worry about. But if we're going to start… We're going to start now!"

Peter then stood on the ledge of the window and shouted, "Come on guys! Off to Neverland!" And he proceeded to jump out the window and into the sky above.

Tinker Bell, Yen Sid and Phoebe stared out the window, all giving themselves a face palm.

Phoebe spoke first, "He does know he's teaching me how to fly, right?"

The fairy and the sorcerer nodded.

Phoebe shook her head in annoyance. "He's an idiot."

Tinker Bell nodded her head in agreement, "Tink, tink, twinkle,"(but he's my idiot).

"Yes," Yen Sid agreed, "Alas, not my problem."

The sorcerer turned his gray gaze to his apprentice, "Now Phoebe, I expect results by next week for the next Council meeting, alright?"

Phoebe inwardly groaned, "Fine, but what about school?"

Yen Sid sighed, "I'll take care of it... just- just go." His voice quivered almost showing his old age.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Phoebe giggled, as Tink started dusting her.

Once done Phoebe climbed on the window and stretched her wings, "Man I have always wanted to do this... Off to Neverland! _Do-de-do-da-da!"_

Yen Sid smiled as he saw the pixie and his student fly off.

"Finally," the old man sighed in relief. "Now I can listen to my tunes."

On his bookshelf, Yen Sid had an old phonograph. He picked up a random disk and put it on. With a few cranks to turn it on, a melody started coming out of its bell.

 _"If you like_ _piña_ _coladas..."_

 _"Or getting caught in the rain."_

Yen Sid hummed along with the song as said drink appeared in his hand. With another wave of his hand, a lawn chair appeared on the stone floor. He grabbed a book from his book shelf and set himself down, casually taking long sips from his beverage.

For the longest four weeks ever, the old sorcerer had forgotten what it was like to relax.

He didn't know it yet, but it was the last relaxing moment he would get for the rest of his life.

* * *

 **Kind of sad ending, but hey.**

 **P.S: thanks for the support WizardofOzz666.**

 **Angel of H-d out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Three: How to: Fly**

* * *

 **Dedication: To anyone who has ever seen a Goofy cartoon.**

* * *

 _"There is an art, or rather, a knack to flying: the knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. Pick a nice day and just try it. The first part is easy. All it requires is simply the ability to throw yourself forward with all your weight, and the willingness not to mind that it's going to hurt. That is, it's going to hurt if you fail to miss the ground. Most people fail to miss the ground, and if they are really trying properly, the likelihood is that they will fail to miss it fairly hard. Clearly, it is the second part, the missing, which presents the difficulties. One problem is that you have to miss the ground accidentally. It's no good deliberately intending to miss the ground because you won't. You have to have your attention suddenly distracted by something else when you're halfway there, so that you are no longer thinking about falling, or about the ground, or about how much it's going to hurt if you fail to miss it."_

 _-A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe._

* * *

 _"When one chooses to delve into the basics of flying, one must always consult the masters."_

 _"For the past century, Disney has been notorious in producing several avian characters: from Dumbo the flying elephant, to Orville the albatross, to Peter Pan the immortal child, to all the fairies from Tinker Bell to Flora, to Magic Carpet the flying carpet, to Victor, Hugo, and Laverne: the gargoyles, to the Beatles- I mean the vultures, and Pegasus... the pegasus. The list goes on and on."_

 _Here in the fantasy island of Neverland, the greatest fliers of Disney have come together for the sole purpose of training the new host of Magic. Today we see the once simple girl, Phoebe attempt the coming of age ritual of her kind._

"What are you talking about?" Phoebe questioned. She had been hearing this 'narrator' for several minutes now. Something about that voice was awfully familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it.

 _"For generations, thousands of angels descended from Magic and Dreams; have learned to fly at the age of five. But since Phoebe is the very first of her kind, she's learning a decade later."_

"Wait there's going to be more people with wings?" Phoebe's face fell in horror, "I have children?!"

 _"But better late than never, right?"_ The Narrator continued, ignoring Phoebe's comments.

Phoebe looked all around her, trying to find the source of the voice. She turned to all the characters surrounding her, "You guys hear it too right?"

Only Pegasus paid attention to the girl. He cocked his head to one side in curiosity as if she was a fish walking on land.

Iago suddenly flew onto Phoebe's left shoulder, and in his gravelly voice commented, "Join the club sis. I've been telling these bozos that for the past twenty years." He pointed behind his shoulder.

"The day they figure it out is the day I get a heart attack and die from not surprised."

The winged girl laughed at the parrot's dark humor. "Hi, Iago, I'm Phoebe. Nice to meet you."

Iago precariously shook her hand with his wing. "Hey kid. So how does it feel to be the next inmate?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "I don't know... How do you feel?"

Iago's face fell, "So you heard about my probation too?"

Phoebe gave Iago a gloating look, "Didn't have to, you told me."

Iago ruffled his feathers, "Jeez they weren't kidding about you were they? I heard you head-butted Jafar. Wish I was there to see it!"

Phoebe cocked an eyebrow, "I thought you were Jafar's pet?"

Iago dismissed her comment with a wave of his wing, "That's ancient history. I've been hanging out with Al's father, Caseem for a while, but I decided I missed being in power. So I went back to living with Al and Jaz; thinking that they wouldn't be so touchy after a year of marital bliss."

 _"EXCUSE ME!_ " bellowed the Narrator's voice. _"But I didn't travel three hundred years into the past to narrate my many greats grandmother's 'how to fly' for nothing!"_

Iago flew off of Phoebe's shoulder, and pointed an accusing wing at the Neverland sky. "Alright fine! We'll stick to your stinking plot line and finish this chapter with precisely six thousand words!"

 _"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Iago_ ," the Narrator warned. _"You best watch yourself. A flying pig can come here at any second and carry you to when Phoebe will need you for another plot point."_

"What?"

 _"What."_

Suddenly, le wild pink pig came flying out of nowhere; heading straight for Iago, with a banner across it's huge body reading: 'Stephens.'

Both Iago and Phoebe shared a shocked expression, but to Iago's increasing horror was the fact that the pig was heading straight for him.

"AHHH!"

Iago rapidly beat his wings trying desperately to out-fly the fat pig. The parrot headed straight out of Phoebe's line of sight; probably heading for the mainland.

And thus exactly like the Narrator said, Iago was not seen by Phoebe until her and Drew's first adventure.

Phoebe turned her attention from Iago being chased by the pig back to the gathered crowd of characters. "Did any of y'all see that?"

This time the pudgy fairy dressed in blue, commonly known as Meriwether, sipped her tea contently and she turned her attention to Phoebe. "See what dear?"

Phoebe sighed in defeat, "That's what I thought." The girl turned her attention back to the sky.

"Alright Narrator, take it away!"

* * *

Phoebe stood on top of a large cliff overlooking a large meadow. Down in the meadow, near the edge of the tree line, several Disney characters who didn't know how to fly, had set their lawn chairs and were having a lovely picnic.

Despite many characters not allowed to cross realms, Mickey Mouse had allowed the princesses and their husbands/boyfriends to attend, and so many jumped at the chance just to see Phoebe and her first flying lesson.

And it didn't hurt that Neverland was a great place to relax.

Among the many couples here, Jasmine and Aladdin were sitting contently on Carpet, barely twenty feet from where Phoebe was standing. They were on 'catch duty,' which was literally catch Phoebe before her skull burst open on the idyllic meadow.

That could certainly ruin a good day. The perfect blue sky, the puffy white clouds, the gentle sea breeze, but add that with blood and death. Yes it definitely would be a bad day.

These were many of the scenarios Phoebe had running through her head.

Once she had arrived on the island, the fliers had spread into different groups. Peter Pan took the main controls since Neverland was his territory. He had the fairies clear all the animals away so that they wouldn't disturb the lessons. He then had Pegasus mow the meadow so that Oliver the albatross could set up the temporary air lanes. Dumbo provided the audience with salty peanuts, the vultures created the terrible side comments we never knew we needed, and the Lost Boys were Phoebe's 'support group.'

Two of the Lost boys stood behind Phoebe, dressed in matching raccoon outfits. By the looks of it they were twins, and Peter Pan considered them one person since he didn't know exactly know what twins were. The two coincidentally echoed each other; further proving Peter's theory.

They were soon joined by another Lost boy who was dressed in a fox's costume: Slightly. He was Peter Pan's second-in-command and he just got the all-clear from Peter that lessons were underway.

"Alright Ladybird-"

Considering how Phoebe is one of the oldest kids the Lost boys had ever seen and she had large wings, the Lost Boys had dubbed Phoebe: 'Ladybird.'

Slightly spread his arms out imitating a bird, "-Now all you got to do is try and flap your wings. Once ol' Cubby gives the signal you're good to jump!"

Phoebe nodded her head. She felt a lump form in her throat as she put her toes over the edge of the cliff, looking down at the fifty foot drop. The girl was never afraid of heights, but at that moment, the height turned into a daunting challenge.

A little Lost Boy named Tootles, dressed in a skunk costume, gave her a thumbs up from his spot on the meadow down below. His smile lifted Phoebe's spirit just a little.

Oh, what she would give if her parents were here.

Her parents had been there for her everyday of her life. The first time she rode a bike without training wheels, her father had made her bike over the grass so she could get used to balancing her weight. He even taught her how to swim and feel comfortable with treading water for several minutes.

Her mom taught her how to not burn the down the house when baking cakes, and how to ice a cupcake properly.

But now they weren't here to watch their daughter take her first flight.

"Alright, Narrator," Phoebe called out. "So how do you do this thing?"

The Narrator proudly cleared his throat, he had waited for this moment for a long time.

 _"To take your first steps into the sky, one must always start off with the usual warm-ups."_

 _"By stretching one's wings, this increases blood flow to the never before used muscles. And by increasing one's flexibility, improvements in physical activities help decrease the risk of injuries by helping your joints move through their full range motion, enabling one's muscles to work most effectively."_

Phoebe looked around impatiently, "So do you want me to stretch?"

 _"Ugh, amateurs. If this was Goofy, he would have done so already."_

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "Fine, I'll do your silly stretching."

Still grumbling, the girl lifted her wings and moved them back and forth, casually flapping them now and then. Subtly, Phoebe popped her neck and she twisted her torso, popping her spine in the process.

"Okay what next?" she asked.

Wherever the Narrator was hiding he smiled, _"Now the more callow flyer should test the winds and check for the most dangerous of winds."_

Phoebe popped her finger into her mouth, and with her wet finger she checked the wind, "All clear."

 _"Now lift your wings and jump off the cliff!"_

Phoebe's eyes went wide, "Wait, what?!"

Cubby, a fat Lost Boy dressed in a bear costume, started waving two leaves erratically, like a person who signals an airplane for takeoff.

At that same instant, Slightly and the twins behind Phoebe, quickly screamed, "That's the signal!" and with their combined strength pushed the winged girl off the cliff.

Phoebe's stomach did a somersault, her wings stood frozen in the air, and a scream started to bubble out of her throat.

 _"Phoebe! Remember you have wings!"_

The winged girl ignored the narrator's voice, but suddenly the Magic Carpet appeared underneath her, and she was caught by Aladdin.

"Gotcha," his reassuring voice silenced Phoebe's screams.

But instead of gratitude, Phoebe responded with her usual sass, "Get your hands off me."

Aladdin immediately let the struggling girl go.

Carpet had already landed on terra firma, and the girl put at least ten feet of distance between her and the former street rat.

Aladdin frowned at the girl's reaction, "A thank you would be nice, y'know?"

Jasmine put a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder, "Aladdin, calm down. That's her way of saying thank you."

Aladdin huffed, "Well she has a funny way of showing gratitude. The first time I saved her she didn't even send a thank-you note."

Phoebe meanwhile was being surrounded by several of the flying instructors.

Peter was upside down and he shook his head in annoyance, "Now girl, you were supposed to fly!"

Dumbo trumpeted his long trunk. His voice consisted of little trills and crescendos and decrescendos. He lifted his ears and flapped them a few times for her to see.

But speaking elephant was never Phoebe's strong suit.

The Beatle Vultures, on the other hand, were resting on a branch close to Phoebe.

"Oi , Phebes. You got wings don'tcha ?" Flaps teased.

"Hey mates, she's one of 'em man-cubs. They were never meant to fly," commented Dizzy, his iconic long black hair covered his eyes.

"How do you know that?" grumbled Ziggy. "You can't even see with that haircut."

"Hey back off, I'm supposed to represent an iconic rock star!"

Phoebe crossed her arms, she hated it when characters realized they were breaking the fourth wall. On top of that Flora, Fauna and Meriwether were doing something with their wands, probably giving the girl pointers.

But Phoebe's full attention was on the overhanging cliff she was just pushed off of. Four of the Lost Boys on top, were motioning her to come back up.

Tootles stood underneath Slightly's legs, and he gave her another thumbs up.

The winged girl quickly excused herself from the instructors- much to their chagrin. She slowly made her way up by climbing up the small mountain, right to the peak.

Once on top, Phoebe winked at the Lost boys. "You guys are a bunch of dorks, ya know that, right?"

The twins slightly blushed, and Slightly pretended to look at something interesting in the sky. Tootles sat himself down and nodded his head toward the cliff.

With a determined look flashing across her face, Phoebe shouted, "Okay Narrator, what should I do differently?"

 _"Hmm."_ The Narrator paused. He flipped through his old book. _"Ah, here it is. As the inexperienced flier notices after her first try that her fear is consuming her to no end-"_

Phoebe scoffed, she put her hands on her hips in a defiant manner, "Excuse me?! I am not afraid of heights." The girl peered over the edge, "Dying on the other hand..."

"Boo," Peter's voice broke through Phoebe's concentration.

"Oh, hey, Peter," the girl shrugged nonchalantly.

Peter's mouth fell open, "But that always works! You're supposed to scream and fall over the edge!"

Phoebe snorted, "My sister trained me for the past ten years. She would appear in random places, scaring the nargles out of my system."

"Nargles? Sister?" Peter questioned.

Phoebe internally snickered. "What the great Peter Pan doesn't even know what a nargle is?" The girl asked in mock surprise.

Peter on the other hand took it literally, "Of course I know what a nargle is! I invented it!"

Phoebe tried to contain her grin.

Peter noticed her terrible attempt of hiding her smile, "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing," she lied.

Phoebe turned to Aladdin and Jasmine on the Magic Carpet, "Y'all ready?"

Aladdin grumbled.

Jasmine gave her husband the eye, putting a stop to his grumbling, "Don't worry, Phoebe you can trust us!"

 _"Now this time instead of just jumping, the learned flier must be prepared for anything! But she must also learn how to position her body to follow the movements like a bird."_

 _"Unlike birds, angels have the absence of tail feathers to help catch the wind. So while in the air, remember to keep your legs closed and your spine erect. Your arms can go anywhere you choose, but be careful, the sky can be notoriously cold as one goes higher up the atmosphere, so mittens are a must."_

Suddenly a pair of grey gloves appeared onto Phoebe's hands, the tips were cut off in case she needed to grab something without it slipping. The palm of the gloves had some padding as well.

"Oooh fancy," Phoebe ogled. "How did you do that?"

Ignoring the girl's comment the Narrator continued, _"Now that you are all set, we can continue your lessons."_

Phoebe's wings, unlike last time started catching the wind and slowly her wings started reaching a rhythm. Unfortunately the wind died down, and the winged girl started falling.

Once again Aladdin and Jasmine caught her.

Over and over again Phoebe kept throwing herself off the cliff, each time shouting something different.

"#no regrets!"

"I believe I can fly!"

"Why isn't anything happening?!"

And the last one: "AHHHH!"

The characters down below over and over voiced their support, but each time, Phoebe failed understanding that primal instinct inside of her.

Peter Pan floated lazily in the air, he snickered to himself every time Phoebe fell. He was glad she did, the immortal child deemed it the perfect revenge for her not falling for one of his pranks.

After all, Peter prided himself as a notorious prankster, but this teenager, Peter gagged at the word, treated him with no respect whatsoever. But what was that one word she had said earlier? Peter thought.

Nargles?

No.

His mischievous glint returned as he watched Phoebe stretch her wings and jump off again.

Sister.

* * *

Drew hated being bored.

No scratch that, she LOATHED it.

But unfortunately for her she had the most monotonous substitute in the world!

The substitute in question was an old man easily eighty or ninety. His shoulders sagged underneath his large hunch, the arthritic hands, white-knuckled his walker, his coke-bottle glasses were on the very edge of his nose, and his hearing aids were on silent.

After five minutes of hearing the incessant yells and screams of his class, Mr. Gerry had been forced to turn them off. Now he sat contently at the teacher's desk, reading a dusty old book.

Drew watched him from her desk near the window.

Since going to school, she had been on edge. When Drew had awoken this morning, instead of waking up to her sister falling onto her bed exhausted from her nightly lessons, she was awoken by her father.

Drew had quickly turned to her sister's bed, only to find the bed completely cold, and the sheets still untouched. Something was up.

You see the night before Phoebe was complaining about something to do with her inability to fly or something, but then again, Drew was used to her sister's complaining. The girl was a worrywart.

Whether it was a low grade, or not understanding something, or even worrying about something she shouldn't even worry about!

But then again, Drew didn't worry about anything. The two were the very antithesis of each other.

Phoebe was smart, independent, blunt, sarcastic, and dear God... moody.

Drew being Drew was jovial, optimistic, loyal, and caring, but a little too carefree. Which helped distract her in her studies.

So like usual, Drew stared absentmindedly out the window. For what seemed like a month now, she imagined herself in the world that her sister had talked nonstop about!

The girl was particularly excited about meeting a certain mermaid princess. Since she was very little she would stay hours in the bathtub or even the swimming pool, hoping that she would grow fins and be a mermaid too.

But for now she would have to settle with being a regular old mortal.

Twiddling with her thumbs, Drew stared out the window once more. Class was almost over, and third period was calling.

But then again so was the boy in the green tights.

Peter Pan smiled wickedly through the classroom window. Clad in his signature green leotard and matching hat with a little red feather. His dagger rested in its little scabbard on his side, serving as a warning to anyone who wished to fight.

Drew laughed in spite of her situation. She looked back at the rest of her classmates. They were staring dazed at their cellular devices, and their headphones securely in their ears, way too busy to pay attention. Mr. Gerry though, had fallen asleep twenty minutes before.

Still giggling to herself, Drew opened the window all the way, and poked her head out. "Holy green tights, Batman! Seriously out of all the things you could wear, you have to wear tights?" The girl questioned.

Peter's face fell, "Gee, ya really are Phoebe's sister," he grumbled.

At the mention of her sister's name, Drew snorted, "My sister sent you?"

Peter chuckled, "Nope, I'm kidnapping you."

"What?"

* * *

Peter Pan had no idea what possessed him to go to the real world, but then again thinking was completely different from acting, and acting was something he always did best.

Getting out of Neverland was always the easy part, but getting out of the Parks; that's what stopped Peter. The force field was very strong, that darn Crystal of the Magic Kingdom made sure that none of the characters Pixar or Disney could ever leave; unless one had permission.

So he had to turn to Mickey Mouse.

Few ever left the Parks, unless it was Valentine's Day; when the Heroes could leave, and likewise Halloween for the Villains. Apparently, to be fair, Mickey had to let the Villains have one day out of the Parks. That's why the Villains were out into the "Land without Magic," on Halloween night, and why Phoebe managed to get tangled up with them, one month before.

The King of the Magic Kingdom/Realms, was very reluctant to let the immortal boy go. But Peter was very persuasive...

And annoying.

But when Peter voiced the reason of why he was leaving, Mickey relented.

Peter laughed at the memory of the Mouse King. He was always so easy to manipulate.

Who cares if there was a cost to him leaving the Parks. Magic always came with a price, it couldn't be that bad.

Plus, the boy, silently wondered. Why doesn't Mickey let other heroes out all the time? There had to be a good reason.

But oh well, that was a problem for later. Peter hated wasting his mind with stupid thoughts.

And right now he was preoccupied with one idea.

A terrible, awful idea.

* * *

Phoebe was annoyed.

For one thing she lay on a bush, she didn't particularly like bushes, even if they did have berries.

Phoebe's apprentice robes were gone, and instead she had a pair of jeans and an old blue shirt. Her shoes were missing again as well. She had a hunch she was wearing them one moment, but she must have lost them on one of her previous trials.

Belle cautiously approached the bush and looked down at the girl covered in leaves, vines and dirt.

The princess put a reassuring hand on the girl's wings, "Feeling alright?"

The girl's wings rustled underneath the her's hand, muttering, "Hunky-dory."

Belle's face creased into a frown. Despite the countless books she had read in her entire life, that particular word had never come across her vernacular. "Um... Is that a good thing?"

Jerking upwards, Phoebe shook herself free of the jungle foliage on her clothing. She stomped away, not even once looking back at the bewildered princess.

Belle shook her head in sympathy, "I sometimes wonder what goes on that girl's mind."

"I heard that!" Phoebe called back. The winged girl, violently tore off a few vines that were stuck between her feathers.

Nothing was going like she wanted it to.

Phoebe secretly wondered if Vanessa, (the once-all powerful being who she shared her mind with) had purposefully given her dud wings, or worse, she was incapable of flight!

But there were many new features that proved this theory wrong.

Since she had gotten her wings, Phoebe had learned of some surprising changes.

She had gained heightened vision, she could breath spectacularly well and hold it for quite long, her senses were more acute, and the most surprising one: she lost fifty pounds.

So instead of weighing her normal hundred ten pounds, she now weighed sixty pounds. But her body was still the same height of 4' 9," and she still appeared the same, from every angle.

Birds, she had learned in biology, had hollow bones so that way they didn't have to carry so much weight, and allowed birds to fly for longer periods of time. But all because the bones were hollow, didn't mean that the bones were strong.

At least that was Phoebe's theory, since she had fallen twenty times from a height of eighty feet.

At least a majority of the couples had left hours before. Only Aladdin, Jasmine, Belle, and Adam remained. The flying instructors were there too, but many had retreated into the trees, taking a noonday nap.

Now that she was back at the top, Phoebe was ready to jump once more. Despite how many times she had failed to fly, the winged girl was stubborn and prideful. She wouldn't leave this island until she could at least fly for a full two minutes!

It didn't matter how much time would pass here, anyway. Time worked differently in the Realms, especially Neverland. So the girl could stay here two weeks and this morning would still be waiting for her.

Taking deep calm breaths, Phoebe started calming down her beating heart. Her gleaming eyes stared across the Neverland sky. Something about it was otherworldly, mysterious, and so full of life, but it was just the recipe for calming the girl down.

But something was coming in at a blazing speed from across the sky. The blur of green, was easily recognizable as Peter. But there appeared to be something in his arms.

A rather large something.

Tinkerbell was the first to notice this. Resting on the branches of a tree, on top of the peak next to Phoebe, the little pixie suddenly understood where Peter had gone and what he was up to.

Tinkerbell sighed in annoyance, releasing a string of curses in the process.

Hearing the nasty bell sounds, Phoebe paid more attention to the boy, and as he neared closer to her, the winged girl could easily see what was in his arms. Or rather: who.

"~Hey, Phoebe~," Peter loudly sing-songed. "Guess who I've got!"

All the tired eyes of the flying instructors' widened in shock as they beheld the sight of Andromeda tied up with what looked like shoelaces... Phoebe's shoelaces.

 _So that's where my shoes went,_ the winged girl thought. "Peter, you skunk bag! What are you doing?! Let her go!" she commanded.

Peter's smile broadened, "Okay." The boy quickly raced up into the air. "But you'll have to catch me first!"

"That is of course," Peter smirked, "If you can fly!" And with that final word he took off like a speeding bullet.

Phoebe growled, "I'm gonna kill that punk- Ow." After those words flew out of her mouth, a sheering pain in pierced inside her head, making the girl stumble to her knees.

Aladdin and Jasmine had rushed onto the peak beside her. Without even thinking, Jasmine placed a hand on Phoebe's shoulder in an attempt to comfort the girl, only for her to jerk it back the next.

The girl was boiling!

Phoebe's eyes were starting to glow a harsh purple. The Magic inside of her started making her heart beat faster, her brain was no longer making any coherent thoughts, and her anger was multiplying by the second.

Vanessa's voice echoed dark thoughts in her mind.

 _"My dear child... Don't you want to make him suffer? To make him fall by your hand?"_

"What's happening?" Jasmine cried."

Aladdin stared bewildered at the sight of the purple beams of light emanating from Phoebe's eyes, "I don't know."

Thinking quickly, the Arabian procured the Lamp, and after rubbing it quickly, a large blue shape emitted from its stout.

The Genie appeared wearing a large butler suit, a serious expression marked his face, and in a gravelly voiced exclaimed, "You rubbed?"

"Genie," Aladdin started, "What's happening to her," he pointed to Phoebe.

The blue djinn turned back into his regular formed, but at the sight of the winged girl surrounded by a familiar aura, he blanched. His form quickly turned into a little boy wearing a blue and white sweater, his hair turned blonde, and he sat on a tricycle that was not there moments before.

In a high-pitched voice, Genie squealed, "That's my mother..."

Inside Phoebe's mind, Vanessa continued to tempt the girl. _"Give me control Phoebe, let me take care of him. If you wish I could teach you all the ways to torture a boy, physically, mentally,"_ she chuckled darkly. _"and I can teach you to fly."_

 _"All I need, Phoebe, is control."_

The girl placed her hands on either side of her temple, "Get out of my head!" she screamed. Phoebe bolted upright, her wings spread around her in a protective stance.

Aladdin and Jasmine stepped away from Phoebe as her wings extended. They were slightly relieved to see the beams of purple light gone.

"Phoebe," Jasmine soothed, "What happened?"

"Nothing," she lamely lied, "This happens a lot." She looked back at the sky, "I'll explain later, but right now I just need to get Drew back, before Peter does something stupid."

With one thought left, Phoebe backed away as far as possible from the cliff. Her wings were half spread, the tips of her feathers barely touched the ground as she lowered her stance closer to the ground. And in a burst of speed, she ran towards the edge of the cliff.

Aladdin and Jasmine rushed in front of her, to try and stop her, but Phoebe managed to sidestep them. As her right foot touched air, her left foot kicked herself off the ground, and her wings were parallel. Once in the sky she extended them, catching the wind.

And just like that, Phoebe flew high above in the sky.

Orville the albatross gazed in awe, as did all of the other birds and fairies as Phoebe, in a blaze of blue light streaked across the sky after Peter Pan.

"After all my years," Dizzy exclaimed awestruck, "I've never seen something so beautiful."

A crow with a blue vest, and a cigar sticking out of the corner of his beak, landed beside the Vultures. He grunted in agreement, "I'll tell ya what. I've seen an elephant fly, but nary have I seen a human do that!"

The vultures all stared at him, "But Peter flies."

"And so do the Darling kids."

The crow looked back up as Phoebe flew away, "Well... ya gotta admit... she's got style."

Dumbo trumpeted his agreement and Timothy mouse peeped out of the elephant's hat, "See Dumbo!" he pointed toward Phoebe, "Everyone now and then needs a magic feather."

* * *

For the first time in forever, reference intended, Phoebe felt exhilarated. She hadn't felt such power since the night she received Magic. Her wings finally beat in rhythm, her heart was beating fast, adrenaline pumped through her veins, pushing her faster than she ever imagined, everything about flying felt right. Her body swayed to and fro along with the wind. Every advice the Narrator had told her were surprisingly helpful.

After seeing her fail again and again, the Narrator surprisingly said she had done better than Goofy ever did in any of his lessons. So after her fifth attempt he had left, saying at this point, she had known enough to know why she was failing.

He was right though. His last piece of advice was to ignore the ground and stop looking down when you want to go up! The winged girl had ignored it, again and again, but seeing Peter fly away with her sister was definitely something to make you look up.

Speaking of the boy, where had he gone?

Still beating her wings, at a slow constant speed, Phoebe slowly, as she got used to the beat of her wings, started speeding up.

And now she could see Peter's form, up close.

Peter happened to be looking back at that same instant, and he nearly fell from the sky in alarm. He stared in horror as Phoebe started forming a ball of blue light in her hands.

"Okay, maybe this worked too well..." Peter admitted.

Drew looked into Peter's face, "Ya think?"

Peter looked down at his captive, "Hey I have an idea. But this idea will help keep _me_ alive and you probably dead." he exclaimed quickly.

"Wait, wha-?"

As soon as the words flew out of Drew's mouth, she was dropped. The words were quickly replaced by a blood-curdling scream.

Phoebe's speed quickly increased in response and took a sharp dive. The wind, despite being in the maritime climate, was cold and biting, the winged girl was suddenly very thankful to have the new gloves, and with her hands outstretched she managed to grab her sister.

"Turd!" her sister screamed as Phoebe grabbed her underneath her shoulders, "You saved me." Once in her sister's arms, Andromeda starting undoing the shoelaces tied around her wrists and ankles.

But she spoke too soon, "Um, Drew," Phoebe's voice came out strained, "Has... anyone ever... told you... you... heavy?" she panted.

Phoebe was starting to sink back down to the island, the extra weight of carrying her sister was having its effect. Drew gasped as her foot kicked the top of the tree line.

"Do you know how to land?!"

The winged girl grunted a, "No," in exertion and quickly spotting a small lagoon, and threw Drew into the bubbling pool.

"Phoebe, what are-"

Thankfully, Drew knew how to swim, and the water contained no jutting rocks.

Phoebe, now free of her burden, flew to where her sister had swam to shore. Not knowing how to land properly, Phoebe put herself as close to the ground, and let herself plop down next to her sister.

Drew, now sitting on the shore, was wringing out her hair un slight amusement, "Well that was fun wasn't it?"

Phoebe standing on terra firma, snorted, "What part? You being kidnapped? or falling?"

Drew scrunched her face, "Actually, it was the skipping school part. You're lucky, Mr. Gerry was subbing."

Phoebe stretched out her wings and started smoothing out her wind rustled feathers, "It's not me you should be thanking."

At that moment, Peter Pan appeared above the two, "Hey, you didn't die? I'm greatly disappointed. I guess I didn't have as much fun as I thought..." he trailed off, suddenly melancholy.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "Your just lucky, I wasn't close enough to hurt you."

Drew turned to her sister, a hand rested defiantly on her hip, "So you were perfectly okay with killing me in the process?"

Without missing a beat, Phoebe replied, "Indefinitely. Frankly, it would've made my life easier."

Peter cut in to the sibling's squabble, as he neared closer to the girls. "Hey, not that I don't like a good ol' sisterly fight to the death, but the other's are probably worried about you guys. Probably thinking I killed you or something."

"Sure, Peter," the siblings exclaimed, simultaneously.

Suddenly Phoebe and Drew turned to each other in surprise, "Jinx."

"Double jinx!"

"Triple jinx."

"Jinx to the infinite power," the sister's screamed together as they touched their noses.

Suddenly Drew shouted out, "Jinx to infinity and beyond!"

Phoebe opened her mouth to protest, but then again, that was pretty clever. "Dangit."

Peter looked between the two sisters, "Girls are so weird."

* * *

 **A/N:** **This chapter took me several drafts to write and I am so happy I'm done so I can move on to the plot!**

 **For anyone who caught all of my references, kudos to you, and to anyone wondering about Genie's past just you wait!**

 **Special thanks to Godwriting and her close watch of my stories(I'm really sorry I can't use your OC!)**

 **As always, readers please fave and review, they prompt me to update faster and it helps me understand how to get better as a writer, respectively.**

 **Angel of H-d out.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Tales By the Fireside**

* * *

 ** _"Humor is the great thing. The minute is crops up, all our hardness's yield, all our irritations and resentments flit away." Mark Twain_**

* * *

By the time Phoebe, Drew, and Peter flew back to the 'training grounds,' it was twilight.

The Neverland sky was painted in its beautiful hues of vermilion, coral, and lavender, and one could easily see the Light fairies catching the last rays of the sun.

The many creatures in the forest had said there good nights and were resting peacefully in their homes.

A majority of the flying instructors- from the vultures, to the gargoyles, to Orville, to Dumbo(it's his bedtime you see), to Pegasus, and to all of the Tiki Room birds.

Belle and Adam chose to leave, as well, something about the atmosphere of Neverland making them feel a bit different or whatever.

Belle, though, had given Phoebe a gentle hug, right before she left. It was very awkward for the girl since she wasn't used to physical touch from people besides her family.

So whoever was left: Jasmine, Aladdin, Carpet, Genie, Flora, Fauna, and Meriwether- were invited to stay for the night.

Peter Pan in all his wisdom- actually managed to come up with a good idea: build a giant bonfire and roast weenies and marshmallows.

Provided by our semi-phenomenal, nearly cosmic powerful friend: Genie.

So right in front of Dead Man's Tree, one could see our group of friends laughing and playing a game of Charades.

But with Genie, that meant trying to catch the reference.

Phoebe seemed to be the only one enthralled with the game. Since one of her favorite pastimes included watching movies and quoting them.

"Oh, oh, I know!" Phoebe yelled in excitement.

Genie was wearing a tweed suit complete with a red bow tie, fez, and suspenders. "Geronimo," he shouted, pointing a sonic screwdriver at random places, like a little boy with a water pistol.

"Eleventh doctor!" Phoebe answered.

Suddenly Genie changed into a rabbit, while he chewed on a carrot, "Eh, What's up doc?"

"Bugs Bunny!"

Then he changed into a man wearing stars and stripes boxing shorts, with poofy black hair."Yo, Adrian, we did it!"

"Rocky: The Italian Stallion"

In the meantime, Drew, Jasmine, and Aladdin looked at each other.

Jasmine drew in a breath, "Is she always this excitable?"

Drew snorted, "You should see her at home. Every freaking five minutes if you make any reference to a movie she'll finish the scene! But it's worse when something normal you say can reminds her of a certain song and: POOF! Whole song right there."

Aladdin shook his head, "Genie's the same way. Wow ten thousand years and he finally befriends someone who understands what he's referencing."

Drew lifted an eyebrow, "Ten thousand years?! He's that old?"

"No," Jasmine corrected. "He was trapped for ten thousand years when Aladdin found him."

"Huh," Drew exclaimed, as she placed a marshmallow on her stick and thrust it into the flames. "Who trapped him anyway?"

Carpet jerked up underneath Aladdin and Jasmine's feet.

"Whoa, Carpet, are you alright?" the princess asked.

Carpet swayed as if he nodded his head. With the use of his tassels, he pointed at himself.

Genie looked strangely at the rug, he had heard Drew's question.

Phoebe looked around to see what was happening. She turned to Genie as his face fell into sorrow.

"Genie, what's wrong?" she asked.

The blue djinn immediately turned into a blue version of Eeyore. "It all started during my birth. When my parents failed to show up. But actually I didn't have a father so..."

He took a big breath to continue when suddenly, Peter Pan flew towards Phoebe.

"Hey, girl, there's someone I want you to meet!" he announced as he grabbed her fist, and flew toward Dead Man's Tree.

"Wait!" she shouted, but it was no use.

Phoebe was quickly led inside of the Lost Boy's hideout before she could protest further.

Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Carpet, and Drew all looked at each other.

"So, who's up for Headbandz?"

* * *

Underneath the hollow Dead Man's Tree, there was a rather large room that served as a bedroom for everyone, including Tinkerbell. She had a small little hole in the wall that was covered with a large leaf for privacy.

The Lost Boys were tucked neatly into their little beds, listening intently to the storyteller sitting on Peter's bed.

"And they all lived happily ever after. The end."

The Lost Boys started clapping as the story was finished.

"Another!"

"Please, Wendy!"

"Just one more story!"

Their voices started echoing, but Wendy's attention was fixated onto the winged teenager in front of her.

"I must say," the British accent prevailed in her voice. "They really weren't lying about your wings."

Phoebe gave a half-hearted wave, "Nice to meet ya Wendy. I'm-"

"Phoebe Palomera," Wendy finished. "Yes, I've heard of you. They really don't say very nice things about you."

Phoebe shrugged, "Hey, how else are people going to remember me? That's how I got popular in school."

"Oh you poor dear," Wendy exclaimed, her motherly instinct started kicking in. "If it counts, the Lost Boys claimed they had a fun time teaching you how to fly."

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "Sure because everyone likes to throw people off of cliffs."

"What?" Wendy turned her head towards Peter.

Peter put his hands in the air, "Oh, what is it with you and details. She learned to fly and land- kind of." Peter admitted as he lazily floated in the air.

"Peter," her voice was slightly reprimanding. "Don't tell me you endangered her life."

"I did not," Peter huffed. "Just her sisters'."

Wendy shook her head in dismay, "He will never learn."

Peter smirked at Wendy's reaction, and to himself he muttered, "She loves me."

"Um, not that I don't enjoy a morale lesson, but," Phoebe's eyes looked up. "I have a story to hear."

"Story?!" Six voices asked.

All eyes turned to Wendy. As the 'mother' of the group, it was up to her to decide if her 'children' could stay up just a bit longer.

Wendy sighed in defeat. "Very well..."

The Lost boys started cheering and they ran toward the entrance.

"BUT!" Wendy's voice quickly froze the boys in their place. "Just one more. Then straight back to bed. Growing boys need their sleep, after all."

The boys nodded their head solemnly, "Yes, Wendy," and out they ran.

"Wendy?" Peter was upside down as he stared into the girl's face. "You do know they'll never grow up, right?"

Wendy lowered her eyes, "Oh Peter, you know you can't decide for them."

"Yes I can. I can even do the same for y-"

Wendy's eyes grew wide, she gently covered his mouth with the tips of her fingers. "Peter, please, we've discussed this. I'm going to grow up no matter what you say!"

Without another word, Wendy quickly exited the tree via slide. Peter was about to run after her, but Phoebe placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

Despite everything that Peter had done to her and her sister, Phoebe did not want him as an enemy. She had already made an enemy in Maleficent on her first day in Disney. And that was certainly a mistake. But an enemy out of Peter- now that could lead to some major annoyances.

"Not a good time, Pan."

"But... I don't want her to leave!"

Phoebe shook her head. "Look Peter, I may feel a burning passion in my soul, called hatred, towards you, but you need some advice. Girls don't like being bossed around- especially when it comes to life-changing decisions. And Wendy only wants you to respect her wishes. So if you really love her, let her choose."

Peter looked at Phoebe strangely, "Are you being nice?"

"Don't get used to it," she retorted as she exited the tree.

Once outside, the winged girl shook her wings out. Something about being underground gave her the willies. She always had claustrophobia, but now with wings, the fear seemed to intensify.

To the right of her, the three fairies were contently sipping on some tea and crumpets. They called Phoebe to their place beside the fire. "Oh, Phoebe! Would you do us the honor of gracing us for some tea?"

Phoebe looked back and saw Wendy having a serious conversation with Genie.

"Um, sure. Why not?"

Taking a seat on a log across from them, Phoebe immediately felt a plate complete with a teacup appear in her hands. "Whoa." The girl quickly held onto the drink before it fell.

Fauna smiled shyly, "Sorry I didn't mean to frighten you."

"Oh no, that's fine. I'm just not used to magic," the winged girl admitted.

Flora eyed the girl quizzically, "Crumpet?"

Phoebe nodded her head, and a Mickey Mouse shaped crumpet appeared in the air before her. She quickly grabbed it, and took a small bite.

"So," Phoebe asked between bites. "What do y'all want to chat about?"

Flora opened her mouth to comment, but Meriwether beat her to it.

"Well, we were wondering about how Vanessa is doing, and how you were coping with being Magic."

"Meriwether, that's quite rude to say it so outright," Flora chided.

"Oh don't give me that. You would have done just the same. That was all you could talk about for the last month."

Flora angrily stuck her nose up, and she brandished her wand; pointing it at Meriwether. "Make it pink."

Immediately, Meriwether's gown and hat turned pink.

"That's it! Make it blue." Meriwether had brandished her own wand and turned Flora's gown blue.

Back and forth the two fairies traded spells, each turning their opponent's gown blue or pink.

Flora awkwardly sat in the middle of it. "Don't mind them they do this all the time," she sighed, giving them a sideways glance. "So Phoebe," the green fairy started, still ignoring her two battling friends, "I heard your flying has-"

Phoebe, without even thinking, stood up, and snatched the arguing faerie's wands away from them. "That's enough!"

Meriwether and Flora stared abashed. No human had ever dared take a wand out of a fairies' hand before.

Phoebe looked between the two fairies. "Now will you two act like civilized people and just say what this is all about?!"

Flora, Meriwether, and even Fauna nodded.

Phoebe gave the wands back to their respective owners, and sat back down on her log.

"So what's up?"

Flora meticulously inspected her wand from all angles. "Phoebe, I believe I would like to call this Exhibit A."

Meriwether too, was inspecting her wand. "Oh dear, Merlin was right."

"Right about what?" Phoebe asked, as she stared confused between the fairies.

"Phoebe," Flora started. "I don't know how to explain this but... You drained the Magic right out of these wands."

Phoebe's face blanched, "That's the second time today..."

"Wait, Phoebe..." Meriwether interjected. "How do you feel?"

The winged girl, looked up and started evaluating her mind. "I... I feel like I want to adopt a bunch of puppies and kitties and give them away to orphans." Phoebe's face fell into horror, "Dear Timelord, I want to be kind!"

"Just as I suspected," Flora exclaimed. "By you being able to absorb Magic from other objects- perhaps even people, you gain a sort of attribute that the Magic is supposed to produce."

"Take our Magic for example. We are supposed to do Magic that helps others, and what you are feeling Phoebe, is the personality of the Magic inside our wands."

Phoebe started hugging herself, "I don't want to think about unicorns and rainbows."

"Phoebe, dear, I think your forgetting something."

"What am I forgetting?"

Fauna lifted her wand and an image of a snake staff appeared out of it. "Phoebe, you can take Magic... for a cost. Even inside of you Magic always has a price, and that price is taking a bit inside of your personality."

"What Fauna is trying to say, dear," Flora continued, pointing at the image of Jafar's snake staff. "If you accidentally touch something with magic meant to harm others, you will act just like the Magic and perhaps even become sadistic."

Phoebe remained quiet for a second. "Is that a bad thing?"

The three fairies shared a groan.

"Rose was never like this when she was fifteen," Meriwether huffed.

Phoebe snorted, "Well of course not. She looks five years older than a teenager should. No one can look like that a day before sixteen. She should have acne and bangs that cover half her face, but hey! Just trying to be an angsty teenager here."

Flora took a long drink from her cup. She leaned over to Fauna, "She's catching on."

Meriwether took her chance and gave Phoebe back her 'magic-less' wand. "Do you mind putting some Magic back into my wand?"

Phoebe carefully grabbed the wand and held it between her hands. "How?"

"Just pretend that your Magic is like a river... Let the Magic flow until you reach a pond- or my wand."

Listening carefully to Meriwether's instructions, Phoebe imagined the original Magic in the fairies wand as a river, and she sent it flowing into a little pond.

The girl opened one eye. She felt the wand buzz with power, and without thinking, threw it back into Meriwether's hand.

"Did it work?"

The plump fairy created a small patch of flowers with one flick of her wrist. "Perfect. See Phoebe, that wasn't so hard. Your learning how to control Magic!"

Phoebe did the same process with Flora's wand, and immediately the girl felt normal again. No more puppies and kittens having a tea party in her mind.

Sighing in relief, Phoebe set her teacup down, and stood up. "Well it was fun meeting y'all, see you later!"

The three fairies shared a look.

"You know she still didn't answer our original question."

Flora sighed, "That's all right Fauna. All good things... Oh, it looks like this month's Council meeting is going to be quite strange. Thank goodness those awful Dream users aren't allowed to come. They would certainly have a laugh at our new leader."

"But what are we going to report to Merlin?" Fauna cried.

Meriwether chuckled, "You just want to look good in front of Merlin."

"Look," Fauna argued. "Merlin is only interested about the girl's training. After all, he needs more support in protecting the Crystal of the Magic Kingdom."

Flora shook her head disdainfully, "Oh Fauna, it's just a silly old crystal. Not just anyone can sneak into the Disney Vault."

Meriwether, bit her crumpet, and with her mouth still full exclaimed, "Oh, yeah? What about that one dream-user who broke in?"

Flora sighed. "So one person broke in. It's bound to happen, besides it prepares us for the future. Dreamers were never very smart."

Fauna abruptly stood up, "Don't any of you understand! The reason it got broken into is because Dream users want to throw away the borders. Pixar is full of them! They already hate us Magic users, especially since Oswald began leading them. The Brotherhood is growing stronger, and anti-magic sentiment is rising! And all we want to do is eat crumpets and drink tea! Well I've had enough!" Angry tears started flowing freely down Fauna's face.

"No one but Merlin wants to unite us and the Dreamers! Even Mickey is turning on his own brother! And if that's what he has done because of a silly little feud- then so be it! But, I just want to be on a side that actually wants order back!"

"Good-bye..." Fauna sobbed, and with a wave of her wand, she shrank and flew away.

Flora looked in horror as one of her best friends flew away. "What did I say?"

Meriwether popped another crumpet in her mouth. "Well let's see: you insulted her, her boyfriend, his beliefs, and everything that Fauna loves about him."

Flora looked back at the plump fairy, "That was a rhetorical question."

* * *

"Now Genie," Wendy asked. "Are you positively sure, you are fine with me sharing your story?"

Genie shrugged, "Hey it's better than an old man telling it to his sick grandchild. But I will promise you that there are no kissing scenes."

Wendy's face flushed in confusion. "Kissing, what?"

"You know fencing, fighting, torture, poison, true love- does any of that ring a bell to you?"

Wendy shook her head, "Not at all."

"Good, cuz no one ever does!"

* * *

Phoebe unceremoniously plopped herself next to Drew and Jasmine, who were braiding each other's hair. The winged girl was about to say something, but then again this was probably the most normal thing Drew had done all day, so she let it slide.

She turned her attention to the Lost Boys as they crowded around Wendy.

Wendy was still the same from when Phoebe remembered her as a child. Adventurous, caring, motherly, and uncharacteristically wise for someone her age. Maybe that's why Peter loved her so; because somewhere deep down in Pan's childish heart he treasured Wendy's stories, her thoughts, and her wishes. Yet what truly pained the young boy was the fact that she would one day never return to Neverland.

The rules for Neverland were quite simple: A child could enter the land without any problem, but an adult was not allowed to enter.

Captain Hook was the prime example of why adults shouldn't enter. This world changes you for the worse, for humans at least, because of how it resorts them to childlike states. Hence, why Hook was not entirely sane, or much of the other adults on the island.

Belle had felt it when they had stepped foot on this land, and that's why she left earlier. It didn't affect Aladdin, Jasmine, and even Adam as much, because they didn't have such a happy childhood. This was the one place they could feel like a child again, and restore some of their childish fun.

And for Peter, if Wendy ever returned to this land as a grownup; it wouldn't be the same Wendy that he had fallen in love with.

Breaking herself from her thoughts, Phoebe turned her attention to Wendy as she cleared her throat for everyone's attention.

"Hello everyone, I'm sorry to interrupt any of your discussions, but it seems," Wendy's eyes flicked toward Genie. "I have a request."

Everyone hushed, and even the crackle of the fire acquiesced to Wendy's request.

"A long time ago, before the first Magic and Dreams had created the Realms; Magic lived a life full of misery."

"Abandoned by her parents, Vanessa had to live among the Dragons and became their own little toy. But what they don't tell you is what happened on the first day, for no one was there, save for one person."

"The day Vanessa was brought to the Dragons, they tested her powers. The Dragons pushed and prodded the girl, until she finally snapped and her powers tried to protect her."

"But instead of whipping out to attack the Dragons, Vanessa released a little blue blob from her hands."

"The dragons had roared in laughter at the pitiful display of Magic, and claimed that their King, Almatheos, had been wrong about the little girl's powers."

"But the king was a witty one, and using a little candle container that the first humans had called a lamp, he placed the little blob into it."

"With the help of his younger brother, who we now call Dreams. They were able to breathe life into it- creating the first genie."

"You see," Wendy's eyes sparkled. "The only way you can make a wish is through the combination of Dreams and Magic."

Phoebe felt uncomfortable as Wendy laid her eyes on her.

"The most powerful things happen in pairs."

Wendy whipped her eyes away from the winged girl and continued her story. "The first djinn, was accordingly named: Genie. A perfect combination of the powers of Dreams and Magic."

"But, Dreams, being wary of his brother, had placed the rule of three per recipient on the lamp. Unfortunately, the Dragons would pass around the lamp and all their wishes came true, no matter how despicable they were."

"Yet once every dragon had had a turn with him; the dragons had left Genie with the little girl, but not before Vanessa had created more genies."

"Almatheos, you see, had forced her to make several more- the number has never been counted, but there was indeed a great amount of them."

"Onarios or Dreams as many call him, was enraged by his brother taking advantage of his and Vanessa's gifts. So he spread the lamps and gave them to guardians to forever watch the genies. He even created a reset button that once the last wish was granted- as long as no one else had any claims to another wish- the lamp would go straight back to their guardian."

"I say that is a cruel way to enslave the genies, but at the time, I believe, Dream's heart was in the right place. He knew what the dragons would have done if they continued to use the genie's wishes, and thankfully, none of them used the genies to their full potential."

"Genie in the end, was assigned to a lowly drakon, who travelled around the world, hording what little treasure he could find. The drakon on his first wish; wished to create something to hide the djinn and all his gold. With his second wish, the drakon wished for the ability to fly, but Genie missed and gave the ability of flight to the carpet underneath him."

Carpet made his way toward Genie and the two just sat there, side-by-side, and listened to the next part of the story.

"The guardian was at first furious at Genie missing, but then he realized how wonderfully the Magic Carpet obeyed him, and that was how Carpet came to be with us today."

"But for his third wish, the drakon wished to infuse his soul into the very building Genie had given him for his first wish. And so, he became the tiger that guarded the Cave of Wonders."

"As the centuries passed, and when the world was broken into thousands of Realms, after the fall of Dreams and Magic. The Cave of Wonders was thrown into a desert, and Genie hid safely, but trapped, for the next ten thousand years."

"Waiting patiently, for the first worthy master, who would set him free," Wendy finished.

Genie was sobbing uncontrollably, and was using Carpet as tissue. "Wendy," he sniffed. "I'm glad you could handle the truth... Because I never could..."

Aladdin and Jasmine, simultaneously hugged Genie.

Phoebe turned to her sister expecting at least a little bit of emotion, but instead, Drew was giggling at her iPhone.

Phoebe lightly shouldered her, "How do you even have reception here?"

Drew shrugged, "No idea, all I know this one guy on twitter, has the funniest tweets ever."

Phoebe groaned. "Does mom know you have a twitter account?"

"Does mom know about your magic powers?" Drew retaliated.

Phoebe sucked in a breath, but she could not find a good comeback. "Touché."

Drew giggled. "And people think you're all tough and stuff."

"Shut up."

* * *

 **A/N: I think everyone who has a sibling can agree with Phoebe. Genie was a hard character to write, but I think, I'm starting to get personalities right. Everyone who gets my references, you get a cookie.**

 **Oh and next chapter will be something my friend has coaxed me into. She kind of wants to know what's up with Anthony, so every couple chapters I'll have a chapter centering Anthony, as a sort of comedic relief or whatever, and it'll foreshadow Phoebe's future adventures.**

 **So if you like that idea tell me about it in the comments or PM me.**

 **My PM box is open for any comments on how to make this story better, or if you simply want to talk about where this story will lead.**

 **Also, hopefully you guys are okay with me making Pixar and Disney having a big feud between them, but hey ever since Toy Story, someone needed to write about the feud.**

 **And yes, the Pixar Theory is canon in this fic.**

 **One last thing, the rating will go to teen as the story gets darker... But that won't happen for a long time, maybe nine chapters...**

 **Angel of H-d, out!**


	6. iPhones

**Hades Discovers iPhones**

* * *

 **"Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience." - Mark Twain**

* * *

 _ **A/N: As stated before in the previous chapter, I've decided to make a series of one-shots depicting Hades' struggle with raising his son and opening up to the modern world.**_

* * *

Jafar steadily stepped onto the Underworld dock, and flipped a silver coin into Charon's direction.

The boatman subtly caught it, and smiled at his payment.

The sorcerer stared disdainfully at the mindless dead. He marched between them, but now and then he made contact with one of the shades, causing him to shudder. The dead always seemed to have an affect on the living- but it caused more of one from Jafar because not long before, he too had been one of them. And since then he made rare appearances to the Underworld, but sometimes there was occasions when he couldn't avoid it.

He had no idea why Hades had invited him to this gloomy place, but he seemed quite insistent. At the last Villain's Meeting, the lord of the dead had not made an appearance, so Jafar guessed it was solely to catch him up on the details of the meeting.

When Jafar reached Hades' palace, he walked into his office, only to find him arguing with a teenage boy.

Jafar nearly dropped his staff at the sight of the boy. He was the same boy from that whole Magic debacle, a month ago!

"Dad, you freaking owe me a new phone!"

Hades ignored the kid as he stared out the window, rubbing his temple in frustration. He was trying very hard not to explode, and was using some of the methods Persephone would use to calm herself down.

"Hello?" Anthony called. "I need an answer! My twitter feeds are dying because of you!"

"Antonius, no." Hades fumed, the flames were starting to spread across his body. "You keep losing your stuff, and you're expecting me to pay for it. I'm not made of money!"

"Dad, look, you're the god of wealth! And _you_ broke it!" Anthony argued.

Jafar sucked in a breath. _Did he just say dad? What has Hades been up to?_

"Hey, your ringtone is more annoying than that eagle that kept taking Prometheus' liver!"

"Well, if you would've let me get to it, this wouldn't have been a problem!" the boy countered.

Hades turned around and made eye contact with Anthony. "Well, YOU shouldn't sit in my throne and leave your stuff there!"

"I TOLD YOU THAT YOU THAT YOU WERE SITTING ON IT!" screamed Anthony. Flames started raking across his body, and soon instead of a boy standing there, there stood a large bonfire.

"I. DON'T. CARE. THE ANSWER IS STILL NOOOO!" Hades exploded. The flames raced high above him and created freshly new scorch marks on the ceiling.

Jafar looked back at the entrance. "You know, I think I'll just go."

Anthony and Hades, both simultaneously cooled down, and stared at Jafar.

Anthony made an 'oops face.'

Hades slapped his face in frustration.

Without looking at the boy, he commanded, "Antonius, go to your room; we'll discuss this later."

Anthony, looked quizzically at Jafar. "Dad, something's not right..."

Jafar froze at the boy. "Excuse me, boy?"

Anthony rolled his eyes "Don't pull the 'you don't understand' trope."

The boy quickly inched closer and subtly crouched on the floor, as he looked closely at the hem of Jafar's long garments. "Well will ya looky here?"

The robe was besmirched with dirt and something that looked suspiciously like wood shavings and some sticky substance. Anthony tried to sniff the robe, but he was immediately stopped.

"What in the name of Allah are you doing?!" Jafar roared as he pulled the cloth away from Anthony's hands.

The sorcerer turned his eyes to Hades, crossing his arms. "Hades, I usually don't question your personal life, but who is that brat?!"

"I like you too Mr. tall, dark, and ugly." Anthony snidely commented, as he rose to his full height.

Hades rubbed the back of his neck. "Ugh, Jaffy, babe... So you know that little thing that happened-" Hades quickly turned to Anthony. "Kid, how old are you again?"

"Fifteen and a half. I'm a man in Sparta." The boy proudly stated.

"Whatever," Hades looked back at Jafar. "- Let's just say my wife kind of left."

Jafar cocked an eyebrow, "You're wife left you?"

Hades scrunched his face, "More or less- look. So you know that I'm currently working in the revenge business-"

"Not a lot of money in the revenge business," Anthony quipped.

"Anyway," Hades continued, as he shot the boy with a wary glance. "My wife is more into it than me. She became mortal to raise our son."

Jafar looked between the boy and Hades. "But if Persephone is a goddess, and you're a god... How is he-" he pointed at Anthony. "A mortal?"

Anthony lowered his eyes, and he started looking curiously at the floor. Hades turned his back on the two as he started smoldering. The god looked out the window and stared at his realm, he ground his teeth, and his fingernails dug into the stalagmite.

"Zeus," Hades hissed.

Anthony waved his hand over his neck to Jafar, silencing the sorcerer from pressing more information out of Hades. The boy looked back at his father, and left the room.

"Well... is there anything that you need, Hades? I heard that you wished to see me." Jafar smoothly asked.

"You can go." Hades exclaimed, still not looking back.

"As you wish." Jafar turned to leave, but Hades appeared next to him.

"Don't say anything about the boy."

Jafar throatily chuckled, "Hades, you seem to have a weakness now."

Hades smirked, "Nope, it just gives me a better reason to get rid of you. If you so much as sneeze- I'll know."

The god's eyes darkened as he continued. "I have more spies than you think, and I already got you out of Tartarus. Don't think for one second that I won't send you back," the god spat. The venom in his voice was unusually high, and rarely did it ever make an appearance with his fellow villains.

Jafar blanched at the god's words, and he silently nodded his head.

Hades patted the former vizier on the back. "But hey," the god chuckled as he returned to his normal self.

"Come on Jaf', lighten up. The kid's not as vulnerable as he looks. Plus he's real laid back, and cunning. I blame his mom for that."

Hades looked incredulously at Hades, "And not you?"

"Jaf, my wife, is the most devious female out there. You know that old saying they had about 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?' Well they got that from Seph."

Jafar shook his head, "Come now Hades, I've met Persephone; she came to all of the Villain meetings back in the day. I always thought she was gone because it was Spring. She made Snow White look like Maleficent," he scoffed.

Hades smiled, "That's what she wanted ya to think."

"Well, speaking of Maleficent..." Jafar added. "It seems that we are pulling out of the game for a while."

"What? Jafar if you're trying to mess with me..."

"Hades, I'm not." Jafar answered, all mirth from the previous subject had long disappeared from his face. "Apparently, she needed a distraction for a couple of months and well... She found one."

Jafar leaned into Hades' ear and barely breathed the name.

Hades' eyes widened in response. "Whoa, that woman really knows how to pull a fast one."

Jafar sighed dreamily, "That she does."

Hades slapped the sorcerer on his back, making Jafar slouch down in pain.

"Don't tell me you still got a thing-"

Anthony in the meantime, had been listening into the conversation. He was hiding underneath Hades' office, in a little secret passageway. You see, his mother had taught him all the little secret passageways she had built into the palace when she had lived there. She had built them in order to listen in to any of Hades' meetings with other villains, and she secretly helped her husband gather information on the villain's side chatter. And because of her, Hades had rose high in the ranks of the League of Villains and earned their respect.

Anthony turned his attention to his pockets and dug out his melted and cracked iPhone. "Don't worry Twitter, DeathMaster will return to you shortly..." He started stroking his phone.

"Yes, daddy loves you too."

* * *

Anthony got bored so he moved on from his little hiding place. So he waited patiently for his father to enter his sanctuary, or the library. He pretended to be occupied with a book that he randomly chose from the Library of Souls, but he had to admit the life of Lauren Hancock was pretty interesting, too bad it wasn't done yet.

He was about to reach for 'Elise T. Whitmore,' when suddenly his dad appeared next to him.

His son regarded him with a smirk at his presence, but chose not to indulge it.

"So..." Hades awkwardly remarked.

"So, what?" Anthony set the book back in its place, and made eye contact with his father.

The lord of the dead squirmed underneath his son's gaze, they reminded him of Persephone's whenever she wanted something. The way he squinted his eyes, and lifted his eyebrow in a quizzical manner, and most importantly, the small smirk forming at the corner of one side of his mouth.

And whenever Persephone smirked, was whenever she knew she won. So that was 99% of the time.

Hades snapped his fingers and immediately in a puff of smoke, the god was replaced by a forty-fifty year old man. Sharply dressed in a black pin-striped suit, he slicked back his newly acquired black hair, speckled with grey on his hairline, his dark grey eyes sparked with amusement.

"So, are we going to this store or not?" Hades asked; momentarily preoccupied as he added skull cuff links. He snapped a mirror into existence, and pulled on his grey collar, and then made final adjustments to his smoky blue tie.

Anthony looked down at his own clothes, an old pair of jean speckled with paint, and his signature black t-shirt; he suddenly became very aware of his own clothing.

"Since when can you do that?"

Hades smirked," Can't help gawking at your old man's looks, huh?" he mused.

"I always had it, just never thought it would be useful. I have minions to scope the earth, I don't have time to go mess with mortals like Ol' _Zeus_ does." he explained, with disdain popping up at the mention of his older brother.

"Chasing anything that had a skirt- the old sleazeball."

"Uh huh." Anthony agreed. "Hey can you get me some nice threads, too?"

Hades gave him a sly look. "Eh, sure why not? But first, where exactly are we going?"

* * *

After managing to leave the Underworld and then the Disney Parks, Anthony and Hades had been stuck waiting in line at an Apple store that the god had poofed them into.

Anthony had no idea exactly where they were, but at least his dad got the Apple store right after the second time. The first had obviously been an apple stand, and then they appeared outside a mall. Snow was falling onto pine trees and huge mountains were outlined in the distance.

Unfortunately though, Hades hated snow. Anthony hated the cold as well, but unlike his father who had never known ice- it was bearable to him.

The only good thing that had gone right, was that gods could pass through the Parks borders- which could explain the multitude of children they had in the real world.

Hades on the other hand was having trouble sitting still.

"What do you mean we have to wait in lines? I'm a god, for me's sake."

Anthony had rolled his eyes. "Papasito, this is what mortals do. Just calm down there's only two people in front of us."

Hades had remained silent for a while, and now they were second in line.

"See dad? The line is moving slowly."

Hades grumbled and crossed his arms. He started getting fidgety again and pulled out a pair of shades.

"Why's it so bright in here? Do they want me to notice the lack of chairs in this place or what?"

"Dad..."

"Seriously are these people okay with paying for a high electric bill?"

"Dad.." Anthony repeated, but his dad was too preoccupied listening to the sound of his own voice.

"And what's up with all this variety? Why can't everything be the same? Wouldn't that be easier to get rid of these people?"

Anthony tsked, "You see, dad. A long time ago one man tried to make everybody equal. But you see everybody was equal except for him- he was the leader and he reaped all the benefits. So while everyone was starving to death old Hitler- or was it Stalin? Can't remember... ol miss Smith was a boring old codfish... Anyway Statler, the name I'm giving to my OTP, ate so much corn that he turned into a pig. And that is why no one can ever truly b'e equal even in a country run by pigs- no matter how cool their mustaches are. Individuality is what made America great."

"Pigs?" Hades asked incredulously. "Antonius, did you actually pay attention in school?"

Anthony shrugged. "Hey they were the ones who wanted me to read this awful book by George Orwell."

"Hey, I remember that guy! He was really weird- I had to send him to Lethe cuz he was spazzing about eyes in the sky or something..."

The pair drifted off into an awkward silence.

Hades enjoyed the silence as his eyes wandered around the store. He was very impressed with the advancements mortals had made in the past thousand years, give or take a day, and how they finally were able to communicate with each other in mere seconds. Oh, and the Fates were right about the indoor plumbing- among the nicer things they had predicted. Cough, cough.

Very soon, Hades and Anthony were now called over to the next available cashier.

A very thin, pimply-faced guy, dressed in a red-shirt stared up into Hades long face, as his black shades gleamed menacingly.

"C-can I h-help you sir?" The cashier quaked, a shadow fell across his face as Hades towered over him.

The disguised god smiled, showing off his abnormally pointy teeth. "Sure- give me a phone- the cheapest one you got. And for payment I will give you ten pieces of silver. How does that sound?"

Suddenly ten silver drachmas appeared on the counter. They gleamed so brightly, the employee could see his green braces reflected in its surface.

The cashier cocked an eyebrow at the customer. "Sir, its company policy that we accept only cash or cre-"

"Okay you drive a hard bargain," Hades interrupted. "How about I throw in a goat." And with another wave of his hand a black goat appeared next to the cashier.

"AHHHH!" The cashier screamed, he nearly fell to the ground as the goat head-butted him, but thankfully the wall was able to hold him up.

"How?! What the-"

Anthony looked curiously as the cashier tried to shoo the animal away. "I don't get it... That's a very nice goat. Who would say no to that?"

Hades shrugged, "I'm tellin' ya- no one cares about the important things in life. I mean come on, a bride costs 100 goats back in Greece, a phone shouldn't be worth that much to a mortal. Maybe I should throw in two mo-"

"NO MORE GOATS! I'M ALLERGIC!" The cashier screamed.

Father and son shared a look. "Allergic to goats? How do you live- next he's gonna tell me he is he doesn't eat meat.

The cashier now climbed onto the counter to escape the goat, "Well obviously. Who wants to kill another living being?"

"I'm perfectly okay with that. I'm the lord of the dead."

"And I'm Death," piped in Anthony.

The cashier was too distracted to pay attention to the father and son's side chatter as the goat jumped onto the counter and started licking the cashier.

"Please- make it sto-o-op." The cashier started sobbing as he started to scratch himself.

"Fine, but I'm taking the goat..."the son proclaimed.

Anthony went behind the cashier counter and took off his belt and managed to tear away the black goat from the employee.

The cashier huffed as he straightened his shirt, only to find it covered in goat hair. "What are you guys?! How the heck did you get a goat in here?!"

"Quick, Antonius, do the thing! He's catching on!" ordered Hades.

The cashier's eyes widened in terror as the boy's eyes became slitted and the color changed from blue to gold. Anthony waved his hand quickly over the cashier's eyes.

"You are getting sleepy..." Anthony's now deep voice silkily exclaimed.

"I'm getting... sleepy." The cashier repeated.

"When I count to ten you will remember nothing of what transpired in the past ten minutes, AND you are going to scream sing the 500 miles song every time someone makes a 'How I met your Mother' reference."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

Anthony suddenly thought for a second, "Psst, dad get rid of the goat."

Hades snapped his fingers and the goat was gone. "I frankly thought that was going well."

Anthony rolled his eyes, as he still controlled the cashier's mind. "Dad, this time let me do the talking. I have a way with words... Alright... ten!"

The cashier suddenly stood straight up and looked wildly around the room until he remembered where he was.

Anthony gave him a friendly smile, his eyes were now their regular blue. "Hi there... Fred..." he greeted, noticing the nametag on the employee's nametag.

"Hello..." Fred responded. Something about that kid was awfully familiar. "How- how can I help you today?"

"Well, how much for one of these handy-dandy iPhone 5s's?" Anthony asked, as he held up his old broken and battered phone.

"Well that depends on if you are currently an Apple member, or if you bought your phone from a previous Apple store."

Anthony shook his head. "Nope- I stole it."

Fred looked up and suddenly noticed the man behind the boy. His pin-striped suit and dark shades was quite intimidating.

Fred cautiously leaned forward and cupped his hand on one side of his mouth and whispered into the boy's ears, "Are you guys part of a gang or something?"

Anthony smirked, "Please, who needs a gang- my dad will literally be king of everyone once they're dead."

The cashier's face fell into horror and pulled himself away from the boy, "Uh, huh... Well... Did you say iPhone 5?" Fred reiterated.

Anthony nodded. "Yeah, why? They don't have 'em anymore?"

Fred started straightening up, finally a subject that he actually understood. "Well yes we do, but we have a limited supply since the release of the iPhone 6. You see our old model was much smaller and more thicker than our new design- making it harder to place the phones anywhere."

"Also, the most unique feature of the new iPhone 6 is the fingerprint lock. You no longer have to type in your password to unlock your phone. So much more convenient you know- and that way we don't have to spend so much time trying to remember our passwords."

"And the nice thing is- if a new model comes out you can trade in your old phone every year for a small sum of $32 a month- for twelve months of course."

Hades swiftly removed his lenses as he stared bemused at Fred. "You mean to tell me you guys keep coming out with all these swanky new models- but then are replaced by this completely different- Yett not entirely new design, and you get millions for only changing a few things?"

"Well sir, let me-" Fred was about to continue until Hades shot him a death stare.

"Let me finish kid." The disguised then looked underneath the cashier counter and found several different phone cases.

"Okay look at these things," Hades gestured as he laid them all out on the counter. "You guys barely change your old models- add some kinky new gadget on the phone- and on top of a new phone ya got to get the case, probably a new plan for surfing that place that starts with an 'I,' and a couple other doo-dads just to make the phone function. And us yutzes, only want to be better than everybody else so they get the new model- not even caring about how much it costs- and look!"

The god subtly pointed to a group of children as they huddled around an iPad. "You've even somehow managed to brainwash not only adults- but their future to praise the god of iPhones."

Hades knelt down to Anthony's ear, "Is there a god of iPhones, or something?"

The boy replied, "Ah, yes, we call him Steve Jobs."

"Freaking Steve Jobs!" Hades screamed.

The people in the store finally acknowledged the lord of the dead with a light frown. Anthony groaned, "Hurry up dad, my soap opera starts in an hour."

"Give me five." Hades quipped, looking over his shoulder to meet his son's gaze.

The god returned to staring down Fred.

"Where was I- oh yeah... Steve Jobs. So this is the guy ol' Zeus is going to have to battle over control for the mortals. Not even I could come up with a plot this ingenious or egregious, and for that I feel stupid for not coming up with something this mind-boggling!"

Hades suddenly quieted and slightly shook his head in disdain.

"I'll take eight."

* * *

 **This story takes place a couple years ago, I did that so I wouldn't technically be avoiding some of Disney's newest movies, mainly because I have yet to watch movies like: The Good Dinosaur and Zootopia.**

 **If you liked this chapter review it, and I might make more depending on how much y'all have like it.**

 **As always review and fave.**

 **Angel of H-d out!**


	7. Watchducks and trashcans

**Watchducks, Aliens, and Trashcans, Oh My!**

* * *

 _"Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live,in your love, your faith, and your purity."_

 _-1 Timothy 4:12_

* * *

 ** _By the way, the rating is going up, but only because of fighting scenes and darker themes like death._**

* * *

Phoebe sat up blissfully from her bed. Her wings ruffled underneath her heavy blankets, every inch of her bed was thick with warmth, and there was nowhere else she wanted to be.

The winged girl sat up and felt a chill on one side of her cheek. She started rubbing it, getting heat to flow into her face. Once her cheek was warm, Phoebe lazily stretched and slowly unfurled her wings.

Having wings for six weeks now, living with them had become quite methodical. The only downside she dealt with was trying to hide them.

Invisibility potions or spells didn't work, Mr. Mouse said you can't fix magic with more magic, and he had guessed Phoebe's wings were somehow connected with her Magic.

So with magic out of the question, Phoebe had to learn to hide them in her shirts, and furl them up as small as possible.

Eventually she managed, and the only way someone would know if she had wings was if they tore through her shirt, or someone had touched her back. Since then, the winged girl had been on the defense from anyone, even if someone tried to poke her.

One of her acquaintances had tried such a feat, and he in turn had received a quick kick to the shin.

Phoebe couldn't help but laugh at the memory. She gazed out the window and could see that the sky was overcast, and that it was quite the blustery day.

Well, at least it was Saturday. Which meant-

Right on cue- Her closet started swirling into a white and black vortex, and a gloved hand reached out to her.

"Ah, frick..." Phoebe cursed.

The girl subtly tore the blankets off her bed and quickly got dressed in some jeans and a simple long-sleeved shirt. Thankfully, today, she wouldn't need to hide her wings. The girl checked herself in the mirror and started combing her hair, and as a final touch she added a rather large blue headband to push her side bangs back.

Phoebe then moved on to grab a pair of boots, and as she tied them on, Drew awoke from her slumber.

The two sisters shared a room, making it nigh impossible to sneak out, even in the dead of night.

"Wha- time is it?" Drew yawned.

"About 8:30. Look I gotta go- there's a Council Meeting today." Phoebe replied as she hastily made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

"But I thought Jedi Padawan Hogwarts training is on Saturdays- ever since you stopped training week nights." Drew lumbered as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.

Phoebe sighed. "I know, but things change. Mr. Mouse is getting crazier by the day..."

The winged girl looked up to now see two gloved hands, peeping out of her closet, pointing to a watch on one of the hand's wrist.

"Look I got to go- mind covering for me?"

Drew rolled her eyes, "Well duh. How else am I gonna get paid this week?"

Phoebe groaned, "I have no idea why I agreed to that..."

Drew ran a hand through her bed head. "Well, last time I recall- about two weeks ago, a little boy had kidnapped me all because my sister needed training, or some chiz like that."

Phoebe stuck her tongue out at Drew, and she reciprocated by making a face.

"Bye turd," The winged girl exclaimed as she grabbed the gloved hand and stepped through the portal.

From the her bedroom to the white and black spiral portal- Phoebe felt her stomach lurch as she landed smack dab in the middle of Yen Sid's study.

Mickey Mouse let go of the girl's hand, as she started to feel dizzy.

Transportation via magic still made Phoebe feel sick to her stomach, and she wasn't building any tolerance, despite weeks of experiencing it.

The girl slowly started gaining her wits again, when she noticed that Mickey Mouse and Yen Sid were not the only ones in the room.

A slender old man stood before her, garbed in blue wizard robes, and he had a very long white beard. "Why hello there, young lady!"

The strange man pushed his spectacles farther up his nose. "Dare I say, can this be the Lady Phoebe?"

Phoebe smiled warmly as she recognized the wizened old wizard. "Howdy, Mister Merlin." She politely extended her hand, "I don't think I've had the honor of meeting ya."

Merlin shook her outstretched hand. "Oh, how you do go on!"

The wizard turned to Mickey and Yen Sid. "Why old chaps, from what you told me of this girl- she was a little hellion, a real succubus! They said," Merlin explained as he winked back at Phoebe.

Phoebe shrugged, "Pretty true."

"Oh don't fret, I was only being facetious."

Mickey and Yen Sid shared a look, "Was he?"

"That girl can be so unpredictable, sometimes," Yen Sid sighed.

Whenever Phoebe met someone new, for some reason, she would actually be nice to them. Perhaps, it was thanks to Pan, who had helped her learn how to fly better for the past two weeks, or maybe it was Wendy's presence, or perhaps, but the most likely reason, was Neverland.

For the past fortnight, Yen Sid had deemed it wise to let the girl rest from Magic lessons, and to instead focus on her flying. Peter Pan and Wendy were her main tutors, as expected, but things were still a little shaky. Mostly due to Phoebe's unwillingness to open herself up.

But eventually the Neverland atmosphere got to her, and she fortunately gained some of her old self. That old self she lost when she lost her best friend in middle school. In other words she gained her trustworthiness of people again. A very human quality she had torn out of her being.

Yen Sid was surprised of what Neverland had done to her, but if anything, Phoebe had more joy in her heart, and she was certainly adjusting to her new life. Her magic as well was getting slightly easier to control- slight telekinesis, but it was a start.

She did have, on occasion, a few surges of power- ones caused by the being living in her subconscious, Vanessa.

Yet it seemed that Vanessa had not made an appearance for a week, but Phoebe was living on borrowed time, before the witch would try and take control.

"Now, Phoebe," Merlin started. "Have you heard of the Crystal of the Magic Kingdom?"

The winged girl shrugged. "Isn't that the thing that you have to stop the villains from taking in the Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom?"

"Precisely," Merlin beamed. "Now you might know that I am the one who runs the program, but you see, Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom was actually just a cover for what is really going on. When the tourists participated in this game, the defenses around the Crystal get stronger. But as you see, the tourists aren't enjoying it as much as thought..."

Phoebe smirked, "And now you're finding out that the defenses are fading. But riddle me this Batman..."

Merlin laughed, he understood the reference, thanks to him being a notorious time traveler.

"What does the crystal do?" Phoebe paused. "And what was your first line of defense? There is no way in Niflheim, that there wasn't an original plan. What's the first one? and why did it fail?"

Yen Sid's forehead creased into a frown, Merlin and him shared a look. The gaze that

Yen Sid gave the wizard was one of stoicism and loss.

Merlin nodded his head solemnly and spoke, "It's a magical device that keeps all of the characters inside the borders of the Disney Parks."

Mickey looked off uneasily to the side. "Walt and I made it a long time ago, but he thought that to make sure that no one could steal it and break down the borders- he added six locks. We spread the keys to a group of people, Keepers, we called them, that represented each of the lands of the Magic Kingdom. "

"Six?" Phoebe questioned. "But there's only five lands in Magic Kingdom. What's the sixth?"

"Main Street U.S. A." Yen Sid exclaimed. "Walt had the sixth key, but he died before the Park was even built, and with him the concept of the keys. We at first figured that we characters wouldn't break the rules, but-"

"Some of y'all got excited and tried to escape, probably creating tons of chaos." Phoebe bluntly remarked.

Mickey, Merlin ,and Yen Sid simultaneously flinched at the frankness of her statement, but they all nodded.

Phoebe looked into each of their faces and found the same expression of remorse upon their face.

"You guys implemented the keys anyway, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Mickey answered, he refused to make eye contact with her.

"Thought so."

"So," she warily asked. "Who's stolen the crystal?"

Merlin chuckled, "Not yet, Phoebe, not yet.

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Now why does it seem like you want it to be stolen?"

Yen Sid frowned. "We don't want it stolen. We just know it's bound to happen."

Merlin stroked his long white beard as he started pacing the room. "But, last night someone broke into Cinderella Castle- nothing was stolen, but Donald reported that the break in heavily weakened the defenses. The defenses are both magical and dream oriented, but someone managed to break through the dream part of it."

"We've called in Oswald to try and fix it, but someone-" Merlin shot the evil eye in Mickey's direction.

"Refuses to speak with him. So all it takes is someone with high magical capabilities to blow the defenses and fwoosh! The crystal is gone."

"But," Mickey argued. "We still have the keys in case that happens."

Merlin's eyebrows lowered in disdain. "You and your petty disputes with your brother are getting out of hand, Mouse! Why if I-"

Yen Sid lifted his hand in silence. "Both of you quiet, the apprentice has yet to hear why she has been summoned here."

Mickey smiled sheepishly while Merlin impatiently smoothed out his robes.

"Fine," the mouse exclaimed. He turned to the winged girl and firmly looked into her eyes.

"We want you to convince the Council to agree to start an investigation into the robbery and to have them put up extra magical barriers- until... Well-"

"Mickey fixes his relation with Oswald and Ortensia," Merlin mumbled.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Mickey screamed.

Yen Sid wiped his face in disgust. "That's it! I will meet each of you at the Meeting tonight. I have a few investigations of my own to sort out. And you _two_ -" He shot a poignant gaze at Merlin and Mickey.

"I hope you'll learn to get along. Seeing as how both of you were _once_ my students..."

Without another word, Yen Sid stormed out of his own house.

Phoebe looked between the wizard and the mouse. "So, tell me about your day," she politely asked, trying to ease the tension in the room.

Mickey groaned, "I'm leaving."

"Hey I'm trying to be nice…" Phoebe quipped, but Merlin and Mickey ignored her.

"Phoebe, have a nice day. Merlin," the mouse barely whispered, not meeting the wizard's eyes.

"I'll see you both at the Council!" he shouted as he exited the study.

Merlin huffed as soon as Mickey was gone. "That puerile little mouse has no idea why he's wrong..."

Phoebe was about to comment, but decided against it. Merlin did look pretty ticked, and from the looks of things, Mickey was running away from his problems. The wizard knew from experience what that could cause, but it seemed that the mouse king was getting harder and harder to reach.

Merlin from the corner of his eyes watched as Phoebe pulled out two pennies from her pocket and started moving them with her magic.

The winged girl had been carrying around the pennies for some time now, and they were helping her build up her magical prowess.

"It seems Yen Sid has been training a good apprentice," Merlin exclaimed as he looked over Phoebe's shoulder.

"I guess," she half-heartedly agreed. "Yen Sid is more of a 'hands on' teacher, even though I like figuring things out for myself."

Merlin smiled, the skin around his eyes crinkled with delight as his mouth formed his favorite question. "Do you enjoy reading?"

* * *

 _Eight Hours Later_

Phoebe uncomfortably sat in her council seat. She drummed her fingers along the dark wood in front of her as she made frantic looks around the giant room. She watched as the Council members filled into the room, taking their individual seats.

The winged girl could hardly breathe, the fear of messing up another council meeting was stuck in her head. Last month's meeting was a disaster, meaning she had to make this meeting go smoothly, no matter _what_ happens.

She soon turned her attention to the Magic Mirror, that made up the ceiling. The spirit of the mirror announced the presence of each member as they took their seat. So far most everyone was here. Elsa from her seat waved at Phoebe, and girl reciprocated.

The girl turned her attention to Rapunzel, her short spiky brown hair made her a little bit hard to find. She gave her a slight wave, and the princess started waving wildly at her.

Phoebe felt a smile come across her face, but she suddenly felt it turn to a frown. She couldn't help but feel dread seep into her stomach as the Magic Mirror announced Maleficent.

The green-skinned fairy had been a constant threat to the winged girl at the Council Meetings. Last month, she had pushed for removing Phoebe from being the head council member by coming up with at least twenty-seven reasons of why the girl was incompetent, from her age to her unpredictable nature. And several of the other Council members had agreed with her, even some of the non-villains!

All pressure was on Phoebe at this particular meeting though, because of something she had accidently said... Last meeting, cough, cough.

Phoebe suddenly jumped as the Magic Mirror's voice rang through her thoughts.

"Ladies and gentle-magicians of the assembly! Thank you for being here promptly. Lady Phoebe, the floor is yours."

Phoebe cleared her throat, she slowly stood up and addressed the council. "Howdy y'all, well it's been a whole month hasn't it?"

The fake smile plastered on her face disguised her mounting apprehension. "Yeah..."

The Blue Fairy caught her eye from across the room, and motioned for her to stand taller, and pointed to her heart and touched her mouth, and threw her hand into the air.

Speak from the heart.

"So did I ever tell you guys about this one time when I fell off my bike?" Phoebe blurted out. "It was a thrilling experience, I'll tell ya what!"

The entire council room collectively groaned. Maleficent couldn't stop herself from chuckling, Clopin was making bets with his puppet, and King Triton silently wondered what a bike was. The witch from Brave, I'm gonna call her Mary, remembered the good times when an old friend of hers taught her how to ride a bike.

The side chatter silenced Phoebe from even trying to speak again, and she sank miserably back down in her chair.

"Alright," the winged girl announced. "Bring in the complainers!"

'The complainers,' as Phoebe called them, were actually just citizens of the Disney Realms who requested food or supplies, or something along those lines.

The large door at the other side of the room burst open, letting in a crowd of pirates. Captain Hook was at its head, and his pirate crew made up the rest of the crowd. They were a rowdy bunch, coming in at all shapes and sizes. A portly old man with a large red nose made his way to the front of the crowd.

Mr. Smee now stood underneath Phoebe's chair, Hook by his side. The old pirate, fixed his half-moon spectacles and removed his red hat as he addressed her.

"Hello miss Phoebe..." He hesitated as the girl ruffled her wings, she half extended them to make herself look more intimidating.

Sensing that nothing was the matter, Smee took a breath when suddenly he felt a metal hook slide underneath the back of his shirt and roughly threw him to the side.

"I WANT MY BLASTED SHIP BACK!" roared Captain Hook, his face was fire hydrant red, and his two black eyes were directly trained on Phoebe.

"And you witch of a girl- was the one who destroyed me ol' ship! I demand to be recompensed!"

Phoebe stood up, and leaned on the wooden desk before her. "How dare you insult me Cap-"

Suddenly a voice rang through the room, cutting the girl off.

"I demand the Cone of Spoilers!"

All eyes turned to Clopin. Yet it was not him that spoke, but merely his puppet.

Clopin nodded his head in agreement. "I second it."

"What?! Phoebe shouted. "You just can't second your own notion!"

"Right?" The girl made eye contact with several of the representatives, but they were nodding their heads in agreement. She looked at Yen Sid for support, but he seemed to be considering it.

"No, he's on to something."

"Who? Clopin or the puppet?"

The sorcerer ignored the girl's cries and turned his attention to the Mirror, shouting, "Lower the Cone of Spoilers!"

"Not the Cone of Spoilers !" bellowed Merlin. "It has yet to be tested!" Merlin's eyes softened, as he insisted, "Yen Sid, I told you I need a few more weeks for-" But soon everyone was wrapped in their very own cone of silence.

Phoebe watched in annoyance as the room fell into total silence. "CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?!" she shouted.

Kida grabbed her spear and tried to break through the bubble, but to no avail. Rapunzel procured her frying pan and started to hit her cage, even King Triton could not break it with his trident.

Yen Sid was starting to regret the idea of the Cone of Spoilers and tried to get the Mirror's attention. Maleficent muttered spell after spell, but nothing happened, in frustration she started screaming obscenities.

Hades, on the other hand, was quite amused with the faces everyone was making, and started pointing at people and insulting them. No I'm not going to tell you what he said, use your imagination people, it's only a K+ story, I can only do so much.

Captain Hook looked bored with the scene of bedlam before him, he was not in one of the Cones of spoilers. Seeing as how no one could escape, he slowly took out his pistol from his coat, and shot three times at the ceiling.

 ** _Pow! Pow! Pow!_**

The Magic Mirror stared in disgust at the pirate. The mirror wasn't bulletproof, and one could see a few shards of it fall to the floor.

"Lower the blasted things!" Captain Hook shouted to the being in the mirror.

Smee quickly whispered, "Please..."

The Mirror sneered, but he took pity on old Mr. Smee, so he lowered the shields.

Clopin took out a stick and started hitting his puppet. "Why'd you suggest such a stupid idea?!"

Jafar looked around the room. "Who did come up with this?"

The former vizier switched on occasion with Genie mostly because of the blue djinn's traveling spirit. He could be here one day and gone the next, so whenever he wasn't in town, Jafar would take his place, representing Agrabah. And since Genie was here last month, The sorcerer had no idea what transpired.

Phoebe squirmed in her chair. Ah, last month...

The winged girl looked at the only empty chair in the council room, the chair that belonged to Jadis, the white witch.

* * *

 _Last Month_

"Narnia has fallen under my rule, and since then, I have spread an eternal winter," the White Witch exclaimed triumphantly.

Jadis had a cold, biting look upon her, the scepter she held, gleamed menacingly in her hand. She was trying to look good in front of the council, hoping that since she was the only villain that succeeded, she would rise in their respect.

Phoebe on the other hand was barely awake. She hated it when anyone went on and on about themselves.

Jadis, though, was is a particularly pompous mood. "I hope the new leader of the Council of Magic can formally accept me as the ruler of Narnia... Lady Phoebe?"

Phoebe's head shot up as she heard her name being exclaimed. "What? Sorry it's been a long day..."

The white witch opened her mouth slightly in a offended manner. "I meant, do you accept me as the one and only ruler of Narnia?" Her tone had an underlying tone of venom in it.

Phoebe laughed. "I can't accept that. Come on haven't you heard the prophecy?" The girl looked around the room expecting someone to agree with her.

"What prophecy?" Jadis cocked her head, caught off guard for once.

Mickey looked over at Phoebe and made a motion to shut up, but she kept running her soup cooler.

"You know the ones about the two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve that will end the reign of the white witch, and sit in some pretty nice thrones at Cair Paravel? You know that right?"

Jadis tightened her lips, her eyes grew wide, and soon they were tinged with an evil red.

"What?!"

She turned to the council, her voice was barely a whisper. "You knew... You knew that I wouldn't be queen forever. Well!"

She slammed her fist into her chair and stood up. "I will prove you wrong- WRONG!"

She turned her gaze, a pair of gleaming icicles around the room. "Know this! The two sons of Adam and the two daughters of Eve will forever rue the day they so much as step into my kingdom. From now on, not one of you may enter my realm, but Lady Phoebe."

Jadis was livid, but her gaze softened when her eyes reached Phoebe's. "Consider this... In thanks for this new information, you are welcome in my realm." Jadis bowed her head in respect.

The white witch regarded the council once more as she exited. "I will not be returning until I bring the heads of each of these sons of Adam and daughters of Eve."

Several pairs of eyes ranging from human to fairy to animal looked in utter horror at the girl.

Phoebe just stared at her lap. The guilt started heavily rising in the pit of her stomach. _I broke the one rule River Song never broke._

 _Spoilers._

* * *

 _Present_

Donald Duck stared wide-eyed, shivering, and practically falling over in fear. He hated being a guard, but since he was one of Mickey's close friends who understood Magic, he was tasked with watching the Disney Vault.

Plus everyone else was at the Council Meeting. So he was the only one left, armed with a flashlight, a few magical trinkets, and a pirate cutlass.

No matter how cowardly the duck seemed, he was a skilled swordsman, better than any of his friends. Mickey might have excelled in magic, but fighting was something Donald knew best.

Donald shook his flashlight, but no light came out of its bulb. The light had died five minutes earlier, but the duck refused to move, the sound of footsteps around him, had frozen him in place.

But soon the footsteps moved away from him.

A sigh of relief soon escaped his bill. He took out a fresh battery from his pocket and put it into his flashlight. The rays illuminated the room, and the long shadows carefully hid the perpetrator of the noise.

A slight giggle of laughter, shifted Donald's gaze to his right. He shined the flashlight closer to the area, but whatever caused the laugh, was not hiding there any longer.

Swallowing the bile that was rising in his throat, the duck started moving around the Vault.

Donald delved further into the center of the vault- he could've sworn someone- or something was behind him.

He quickly spun around, but no one was there. Swiping the sweat that slid down his brow, he continued on, only stopping to admire the glowing Sorcerer's Hat.

Every now and then Mickey or Yen Sid took it out on occasion, but they always returned it before the day was done.

Donald couldn't help but laugh at all the trouble that hat had landed him before.

But something was off about the hat. Instead of its tip being straight up, it was slightly bended.

Mickey and Yen Sid would be rolling if they saw that, so Donald quickly fixed it.

"Wait a second, someone's used it!"

He suddenly looked up, as some kind of slimy substance hit smack dab in the middle of his forehead. Donald quickly dabbed at it, and brought his hand in front of his eyes. He started playing with the clear goo, finding it extremely sticky, but it soon started to solidify.

The duck looked at the top of the ceiling, to find the source of the goo, but nothing was there.

 _Whatever was in the vault with him,_ Donald thought, _was close by_.

Gaining a new sense of courage, Donald, watched the ceiling in case any more goo might make an appearance.

The duck soon realized, as he trekked through the Vault, that he was getting closer to the Crystal.

The lone hallway that led to the vault was quite tight, and there was an emergency button, both outside and inside, that closed the perimeter, once pressed.

Donald trekked down the hallway and opened the gate to check if everything was still accounted for.

Once inside the small enclosure, Donald stared in awe at the crystal. It shone the faintest hint of blue, and it was a small sphere probably the size of a tennis ball. Inside of the sphere one could see a perfect copy of Cinderella castle.

Donald shone his flashlight on the crystal, and the area around it, creating a bright blue light that enveloped the enclosed area.

When suddenly something rushed from between his legs- making him jump in fright- dropping the flashlight in the process.

A series of giggles started surrounding Donald, but he could not pinpoint any of the voices around him.

"Hey! What's the big-" He stopped mid-sentence.

From where his flashlight had fallen on the floor, the rays of light just barely illuminated the monster that now encircled the crystal.

His eyes grew to the size of saucers, his heart-rate went up three hundred clicks, and his teeth started chattering.

The large creature was unlike anything he had ever seen!

Perhaps seven or eight feet tall, it's segmented blade-tipped tail flicked defensively, back and forth around the stand on which the crystal sat. It had an elongated, cylindrical head, with no visible eyes or nose, only a tiny mouth stood out on its face. It's entire body was black and it had a very human-like body with four spikes jutting out of its back, it was almost insect-like.

The only time he had seen something like this was in the Great Movie Ride at Hollywood Studios.

Donald leaned back in horror, but his neck feather's suddenly stood on end, as a cold metal object was placed at the base of his neck.

"Now where you 'eaded to duck?" A mechanical voice exclaimed. The owner of the voice appeared to be a pirate from his black coat, and the red bandana that covered his head, and a leather hat over it.

Without thinking, Donald, whipped out his sword, and easily separated the gun from the pirate's hand, in a single swipe.

But as soon as he did, the creature lunged forward and pinned him to the wall with one of its human-like hands. The creature hissed, and as it did, thick saliva dribbled out of his mouth.

Donald tried to move, but the monster was too strong.

Thinking fast, the duck started a spell, but the mouth of the creature jutted out of its head, and snapped its teeth- breaking his concentration, and anything the spell might have done.

Donald gulped. "You aren't going to kill me… right?" he pleaded. He looked to the pirate behind the Alien.

The pirate suddenly shouted, "We wants the redhead!" He had no intention of saying it, but it seemed to slip out.

"No." the pirate confirmed. "I, at least won't, but I don't speak for the Alien," he added slyly.

Light giggling started echoing in the hallway, and the flashlight lying on the floor started flickering. Between the points of darkness, Donald helplessly watched as the crystal was there one moment, and gone the next.

"It's been a pleasure, Master Duck, it's only a shame we won't be seeing you again!" The pirate maliciously laughed, and ran from the room. In the distance you could hear him say, "We wants the redhead," once more.

Donald started convulsing in rage, his head turned a bright red, and he was quacking uncontrollably.

The Alien reciprocated and threw him to the other side of the room.

The duck felt some of his ribs crack upon impact, and fell painfully to the floor. Donald attempted to stand, but as he did, the Alien was there in an instant.

The flashlight momentarily lit up for a full second, shining upon the creature. Donald shrieked in terror, as he hadn't seen him, and suddenly felt the monster's tail hit him to the side.

"Ahh!" Donald screamed as the tail made contact with the side of his face, barely missing one of his eyes.

Holding his hand up weakly, the duck fired all his remaining strength into an energy shot. His aim was off, but he managed to chop off the blade-end of the monster's tail.

The creature hissed in pain, the blood that seeped out of the wound was not its usual acid- but instead oil and parts of wire.

And it was in that moment that Donald realized that what he was facing was not flesh and blood.

He was an animatronic.

And so was the pirate.

Having enough of toying with his prey, the creature circled the duck, it figured that the mouth would be the perfect way to end his life. So he inched closer, and suddenly lunged!

But as he lunged- the Alien was thrown to the side as something heavy collided with him and pushed him away from his target.

The figure and the creature landed in a heap on the other side of the room. The monster pushed the person off of him, and quickly stood to face him, when suddenly, the animatronic felt something stab through his abdomen.

The Alien started to sway, but the figure reacted and jerked the spear out of the animatronic's chest and thrust it right through its mouth, in a single swift motion.

The point stood out menacingly on the other end of the creature's elongated head.

Donald watched in shock as the creature fell down. It started to spark on the floor, but soon the energy surrounding the Alien ebbed.

The figure, who saved the duck's life, momentarily met Donald's eyes.

Dressed all in black, and covered in a billowing cape to match, he had a pair of blue eyes, rimmed with gold, peeking underneath a porcelain white mask. Black hair framed the mask, and certain parts of it glowed a smoky blue.

The figure looked over the body of the animatronic. He put his foot on the Alien's head, and subtly tore out the spear. He looked at the now dull tip of the spearhead, and crouched down to the floor, using the spearhead to open the chest of the robot; it did help that the material that covered the animatronic was made of plastic.

Despite the lack of light in the room, the figure could see just fine.

Wires and flashing lights greeted him, and he started inspecting what had caused the glitch. Looking more closely, Yellow Eyes noted the fried computer; every animatronic had a working computer that stored how each one moved or worked, and this particular one, didn't have a functioning one.

"Who are you?" Donald asked, breaking the figure's thoughts.

The figure smirked at the question, the blue parts of his eyes glinted. "Now where's the fun in finding out so quick?" His voice was boyish in nature, but it seemed like he was trying to cover it up with a rough undertone.

He looked back at the duck, and nearly did a double-take at the state he was in.

"Wow… He did quite a number on you…" He moved to the side and started to take in all the damage the Alien animatronic made.

The duck wheezed. "How'd you… get in?" His broken rib cage was starting to constrict his lungs.

The masked figure smiled, waving his spear. "Same as you, just a lot more classier."

Donald, with the help of the person, moved painfully on his side, he could only see the bright white mask. It covered his entire face, save for the mouth and a little bit around the eyes.

"Why do you wear a mask? Were you burned by acid or something?"

"Not at all! I just think they're terribly comfortable, and I feel like everyone's wearing one these days. Now shush! I don't want to drag you to your friends." He started putting his fingers on Donald's ribcage and felt around to see how many ribs were broken.

"Wait!" The duck protested. "Mick- he's gotta know what happened!" Donald suddenly put a hand to his chest, as pain rocketed through his organs.

Despite the pain, Donald stood up, and he slowly rose, thanks to the cloaked figure's help. Taking a tentative step, the duck sighed, grateful for still being able to walk. He made his way to his sword and painfully bended down to pick it up.

Donald raised the sword and pointed it at the figure. "I could arrest you for trespassing."

The figure nodded as if he understood. He looked behind the duck, already thinking of an escape plan.

"But I won't."

The figure's mouth slightly fell open in shock, but he quickly hid it and stood a little taller.

Donald put his sword back into its scabbard and regarded the figure with a cold look.

"I know you've broken in before, but you did just save my life. I want to throw you in jail, but you had to ruin it by helping me!"

The figure laughed, "I'm sorry to put your morals into question." He bowed slightly in a mocking manner.

"So I'll give you three seconds." Donald smirked as he reached underneath the stand of the crystal. He fingered the large red button and gave the figure a triumphant look.

The masked figure smirked, crossed his arms in a defiant manner. "You wouldn't dare."

"Two."

"Hey you skipped one!"

"Three!" Donald yelled and hit the red button.

Red lights started flashing and sirens blared, the only exit suddenly had a large metal door slide into place.

The figure rushed to it and put his hand underneath the door. "Why didn't you put this up in the first place?!"

"I did! The twin button on the other side of the gate unlocks it!" Donald argued.

"Well…" The figure suddenly had a dark thought. He had one way he could escape, but it would certainly sap his energy, and if he wanted to return home, he would need help.

 _"Hey um... other me? You mind helping me… I'll let you take control…"_

Anthony fingered the edges of his mask, and could suddenly feel the rush of power flow into him, and his face beginning to change. The gold that rimmed his eyes started to overtake his entire iris, and his pupils slitted.

Donald froze as a dark sound reached his ears, it took him a second to realize it was laughter. The duck took a step back as he saw the masked figure's expression.

Anthony faced the door and put a hand to the metal door. Slowly his hand, turned into smoke, and his entire body soon followed.

Donald ran to the edge of the enclosed room ,and banged on the door.

"Hey let me out!"

Suddenly, Donald fell painfully to the floor as the gate slid open.

Goofy swept up his friend in a giant hug. "Oh, Donald! You're okay!"

The duck felt his broken ribs, scream underneath his friend's tight grip. "Let me go!"

"Oh, s-sorry, Donald! But- hey you look awful! Donald why'd ya always manage to hurt yourself?"

Donald never choked Goofy so hard before that moment.

* * *

Phoebe's face fell into shock.

No, it wasn't because Mickey relented and gave Hook the money and supplies for a new ship. No, it wasn't because Maleficent had insulted her again. And no, it wasn't because of the moving speech she had made about adding defenses.

It was instead because of the talking trashcan that had entered the Council Room, unannounced.

Amid the blaring sirens that erupted in the council room, a little trash can, probably from Tomorrowland because it was edged in turquoise paint, had entered center stage.

"Why, hello good ladies and magicians of the council!" It announced, sparking interest in everyone present. The voice was rather high-pitched, and mechanical in nature.

"The fudge am I looking at?" Phoebe silently muttered.

The winged girl, shook off her initial surprise and looked to her side to see Mickey and Merlin running out the room, unnoticed.

The girl understood they needed a distraction, so she regarded the voice. "Trashcan, what business do you have in the Council meeting today?"

"What me?" The trashcan asked, he moved toward Phoebe's chair. "I'm only here to give the magic-users a message to their worlds."

"Uh huh…" Phoebe replied. She gave the Blue Fairy a questioning gaze. "So what, pray tell, d'ya have to tell us?"

"Simply that the borders will be gone and that anyone can leave the Disney Parks, and move into your world, Lady Phoebe."

The girl cocked a surprised eyebrow. "Well, that sounds hunky-dory, and everything, but how you gonna do that Mr. Can- or do you prefer Mr. Trash?" She added with a note of sass.

"Well, I already stole the Crystal of the Magic Kingdom- if that's what you mean."

A collective gasp echoed throughout the room.

 _Well frick,_ Phoebe thought. _There goes Merlin's idea._

"Anything else to report?" She bluntly asked.

"Why, yes actually." The trashcan quipped. "As you know the six keys necessary for bringing down the magical barrier- well I'm setting my sights on them and their guardians."

Phoebe laughed as she leaned on her arm, resting her chin on her hand. "Aww, a witty bitty trashcan's gonna do all that?"

"Of course! Because if I don't- I'm more than happy to get rid of all those pesky tourists!"

"And how're you going to do that?"

"Why kill them of course!"

Phoebe's hand slipped out from under her head in shock. She made eye contact with Rapunzel, Elsa, and the Blue Fairy from across the room, they all had the same expression on their face.

"Excuse me?"

The trashcan seemed to chuckle at the girl's reaction. "Well there are other methods, but the first option is more easier to accomplish."

Suddenly Mickey burst through the end of the Council room, flanked by Goofy, Horace Horse-collar, and a speed-walking Donald.

The little box started tsking. "Well, how rude! But I guess I've worn out my welcome..." He exclaimed almost forlornly.

Goofy got to the trashcan first, but as he swung his sword- the trashcan was gone in a blaze of white light- and the Captain of the Guard fell tumbling forward, crashing into his fellow compadres.

"Gawrsh," Goofy mumbled. Thankfully he was used to his clumsiness.

Mickey, shook off the tiny Goofys that were running around his head and made his way to the front of the room, while carefully sheathing his short sword.

He took a breath, but Maleficent took her chance.

"Do I have to press my point any further?!" She announced to the council. "If the girl didn't even try to protect the Crystal before it being stolen- then what confirmation do we have if she even cares about her position?"

Phoebe stood up from her chair, locking gazes with the fairy. "I've been committed since day two, lady!"

The girl took a steady breath knowing that Maleficent was trying to make her seem like a whiny teenager.

"Alright, Maleficent," Phoebe continued. "I understand that lately I have been failing in being an adequate council leader. But mind you, I'm still learning Magic, and a full-time student. I had to drop out of band because of this new life. Yet I hope that I can assure you of my loyalty to this job."

Maleficent slightly sneered, "Now, now Phoebe. Your personal life should never be mentioned around here. Some might try and use it against you."

Phoebe blanched at Maleficent's comment. Was she really saying too much about herself?

The girl was indeed clever in her words, but sometimes her talkative attitude let her spit out too much information.

Mickey Mouse cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of the council. "Well, I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but the crystal has been stolen. Donald Duck-" the aforementioned duck leaned against one of the pillars in the room trying to steady himself, "was attacked by two animatronics in the Vault. He managed to fend them off, but he was left heavily injured."

The Enchantress from Beauty and the Beast spoke, "How can any of the animatronics be alive? They are not of flesh and blood, and I can assure you, none of my magic helped into bringing them to life. Blue Fairy- you also have the power of life- what say you?"

The Blue Fairy slightly flinched at the Enchantress' question. "Oh! Yes the power over life is a great magic indeed, but using it to power robots and puppets- that's unheard of."

"But you bringing life to a marionette is simple, isn't babe?" Hades accused, suddenly finding interest in the conversation.

The fairy bristled at the god. "And allowing people to sell their soul to you for bringing back their loved ones seems just wonderful- doesn't it?!"

"Hey, my business is my own. But mass murdering? Psh- child's play." Hades huffed.

"Says the guy who killed hundreds of people because he released the Titans!" a voice floated across the room.

Hades slammed his fist into the wood before him, causing a fire, and briskly stood up. "WHO SAID THAT?!"

Phoebe suddenly flew to the middle of the room. "Okay, enough! My God, I get it- we all have personal problems!"

The winged girl, warily made eye contact with the arguing council members, she was suddenly reminded of this one time when she watched her first fight at school. It was more talk than actual fighting and goading the opponent on.

Easing herself down in the middle of the room, Mickey by her side, Phoebe suddenly got a clever idea.

"Okay, look y'all, we have a problem… So probably our first plan of action is to stop the talking trashcan and any other animatronics that might be under his sway. Maybe we should assemble a team of sorts, one to find the keepers, another to increase security in the parks… Maybe provided by the Haunted Mansion?"

Phoebe's gaze shifted to Madame Leota, who seemed interested with the idea.

The girl's attention drifted to King Triton and Kida. "You two can be in charge of security- Triton you can watch for any attacks by water, and Kida I'm sure you can deploy a fighting force whenever necessary."

Phoebe momentarily glanced at Mickey. He seemed surprised at how organized the girl was, and with a slight nod of the head he encouraged her to go on.

"Now Jack," Phoebe's gleaming green eyes turned to the thin skeleton. "Can you mayb-"

Maleficent suddenly appeared right next to Phoebe, causing the girl to flinch as her shadow blocked the light.

"Can you believe this?!" Maleficent enunciated. Her cold biting voice made Phoebe grind her teeth in frustration.

"This girl is not even a Council leader for a full two months, and she suddenly chooses to boss us around? And now, when we have a perfect opportunity to test her- we instead have her order us around to and not have her figure it out for herself?!"

"Well I say we let her have a challenge for once! Let her understand the mechanics of the Parks and see if this world is suitable for her, and if she fails- well… Then we can have true evidence of her incompetence." Maleficent rolled, hiding a malicious smile in her tone.

Phoebe felt a firm grip on her wrist before she could even voice any of her opinions. Mickey's face was set in a deep frown, but it helped bring the girl down to earth. The girl instead silently fumed.

Mickey Mouse started clapping, surprising both Phoebe and Maleficent. "You know… that is a wonderful idea. Oh boy! Let me tell you what!"

Phoebe and Maleficent stared perplexed at the mouse; the surrounding council members shared the same expression as well.

"You… You're okay with this?" Phoebe inquired; she had never been more surprised in her life. Okay a talking trashcan, Disney characters, magic, I get it. She doesn't have a very good track record does she? But seeing Mickey agree with a villain- Maleficent above all things… what was that little mouse planning?

"Well, of course! Maleficent, I couldn't say it better myself!" Mickey quipped.

Yen Sid suddenly understood what Mickey was implying. He quickly stood up, and announced, "I third that notion! Phoebe what say you?"

Maleficent's eyes lit up in shock." You mean it's perfectly acceptable to let this girl venture alone into things she's not even aware of?! There are rules… customs which she must understa-"

"And understand she will!" The Blue Fairy agreed.

"Now Mistress, don't be hypocritical of this idea. I am perfectly aware of what the child might see in our worlds and our way of life. But whether she should do this is not up to us- but to her-" she pointed her wand in Phoebe's direction.

Phoebe gulped as all eyes returned to her. She was wondering when they would include her opinion in this matter, and it seemed like the moment was now. But what would she choose? Christmas break was already almost done, and the New Year was just yesterday. How could she possibly find time to fit this quest into her already busy schedule?

She had already quit band- giving up playing her instrument and all that entailed from concerts to any opportunities to march in the school's band and interacting with people her age instead of her family- and whatever Disney was to her. And let's not forget that semester exam week was fast approaching.

Phoebe silently wondered why none of this happened over summer or even before high school- but hey, life always has a funny way of messing with you.

"I accept." Phoebe blurted, before she could even get her wits about her.

Hades nearly choked on his drink. Did he hear that right? Was Phoebe really going to allow herself to be putty in Maleficent's hands? This was exactly what not to do. Rush into something without thinking about what may or may not happen. And if she died in this stupid venture- so does his entire plan! Eighteen years gone!

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Hades exclaimed. Everyone's neck turned to the flame-haired god.

"Kid, you can't be going alone! Everyone knows going solo can throw you asunder…"

An idea flickered into the lord of the dead's head, and he couldn't help but let one of his smirks crease his face. "How about I offer you the services of one of my servants?"

"Fat chance, Hades," Phoebe snapped. "I don't think working with Pain and Panic will be quite fortuitous, and the only good help from you is- none at all."

"I don't know about that," he cocked his eyebrow in a knowing manner. "He's your age- I think, young, cunning, a little on the eccentric side, but hey, I'm not a miracle worker."

"Thanks for the suggestion," Phoebe rolled her eyes. "But the answer's still: No."

The winged girl flew back to her seat and hit her gavel to bring order to the court. "Now does anyone know exactly where to start?"

Donald's head shot up immediately, he was still leaning on a pillar- ignoring the pounding in his head. "Hollywood Studios! That's where to start!"

"Or," Hades cut in. "The Haunted Mansion... lots of trouble over there."

Maleficent's head snapped to Hades' direction. _What was he thinking?!_

The Mistress of All Evil tapped her fingers restlessly. Why Hades always came up with fatuous ideas, she had no idea, but he was not her problem now.

The dark fairy internally grinned, ecstatic that everything was falling into place. Maleficent made eye contact with the other villains, but she paid especial close attention to Jafar. Hopefully he had made sure Hades knew not to interfere in her plans, and maybe this time he would comply.

If only he hadn't paid so much attention to Phoebe's welfare then maybe the girl would be under her sway.

But that's what backup plans are always for.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter- I frankly hope so this is the third draft. The animatronics was something that was always planned, and I was more than happy to give y'all a small sampling till things start heating up.**

 **And yes I had to somehow slip my favorite character into this- Donald Duck! I was so excited finally being able to write him, and I hope I gave him some justice.**

 **But anyway to those wondering about the Alien- it can be found at Hollywood Studios, in the Great Movie Ride.**

 **Also I hate to sound like I'm begging, but reviews would be wonderful! I haven't been receiving many, but if not, you can always chose to PM me for questions or even small suggestions.**

 **As always please fave and follow!**

 **And yes I made the main antagonist(for this story) a talking trashcan. But who is inside the trashcan? DUN DUN DUNNNN!**

 **The trashcan idea originated from many experiences I've had at disney world where I met a talking trashcan that would follow kids around asking for trash. The magic was ruined for me when my parents pointed out the inconspicuous guy, who had a large satchel whispering things into a tiny microphone. And they recently removed it from the parks.**

 **Angel of H-d out!**


	8. Family Business

**Anthony Discovers The Family Business... Twice...**

* * *

 _"People think being alone makes you lonely, but I don't think that's true. Being surrounded by the wrong people is the loneliest thing in the world." Kim Culbertson._

* * *

 **A/N: Guess who's back?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the song mentioned, or anything Disney related, save for my characters, plot, and sarcasm.**

* * *

Anthony reappeared in a flash of bright yellow light. Unfortunately for him though, the other him had chosen to make him land ten feet from the ground, resulting in him falling to the black sand shore of the River Styx.

"I freakin' hate you," the boy grumbled, but his voice was muffled since his face was deep into the black sand, but really it was ground up igneous rocks.

Propping himself on his elbows, Anthony removed his mask and unceremoniously shook off the excess grains stuck in his flowing locks, as he stood up to his full height.

"Next time I want to be thrown in the sand, I'll get Big Baby to do it. Trust me, he's done it."

His gaze suddenly darted around the vast pit of the Underworld. Taking in the huge dark caverns that echoed with the moans of the souls and the occasional bark from Cerberus, Anthony felt on edge. This was normal of course, considering how his father didn't know he had snuck off... again, but, oh, the guilt of acting heroic.

"Okay, I need to get the house before Daddy dearest finds out, or worse! He knows about me saving Donald!"

The boy suddenly realized no one was around to hear his monologues. For some reason being around villains seemed to increase this need, but hanging around Jafar might've helped with the talking to yourself part.

Yes, Anthony knew talking to himself was a terrible habit, but then again, was he truly talking to himself? Isn't there another being taking up space in his body, taking free reign of it every time he fell asleep?

Shaking away his thoughts of his miserable existence, the boy analyzed the problem at hand.

Anthony desperately wanted there to be another way to reach his house, but since once does not simply swim in the River Styx, and he had a fear of drowning; so the boy had to resort to the ferryman.

"Where the hell is Charon?" The boy suddenly laughed to himself.

"Oh wait, I am in hell- gods, the puns! Why couldn't I be the god of puns? Had to be- Okay, I am not talking to myself anymore starting- now."

Anthony put his hands on his hips and dramatically swished his cloak. "Charon, I summon thee to aid me before my dad flames my beautiful behind! I kind of need it... so if you could please, show up? Dad is going to be here any minute now, and I don't want to explain why I'm not at home... Charon?"

From the distance, the skeletal rower made his way down the river, with ever slow speed, toward the boy. The lapping of the ghostly river, seemed to push against the boat, and the souls swimming along in the river, seemed to be helping, but Charon was skilled at his job, and easily pushed against the current, making his way toward his young master.

The boat slid into the shore, and Charon fully stopped the vessel by firmly placing his oar on the shore. His empty black sockets greeted the boy and allowed him to step onto the vessel without any payment.

Taking a seat, Anthony propped his legs up and started unclipping his cape. "Oh Charon, you old dog, you. You have no idea what I've been through, tonight," he exclaimed in a very annoyed tone.

The skeleton simply nodded his head, and using his oar pushed the boat off the shore and maneuvered the vessel toward the direction of Hades' palace.

"I mean one minute, I break into the Disney Vault, wondering why the hell would a guy leave the door open and I snuck my way in. And suddenly: boom! I see the duck getting whipped by a monster thing and well, I saved him."

"Don't tell dad- he'll be ticked, but then I realized it's not even alive it's a freaking animatronic! So using my suave skills I picked up in those three weeks dad sent me to Sparta, claiming 'I'm never going to survive one day in a brawl' and I freaking impaled that robot- like a boss!" Anthony yelled with way too much enthusiasm, and his voice echoed off the caverns, reminding the boy of his current situation.

"But other than that. I'm fine, no one died, easy night... I hope... I mean I think Dad's still at the Council meeting. Everything is just peachy... Too peachy..."

Looking at the silent boatman, Anthony wondered what he had missed in his absence. "Charon... Has there been any other villains around lately? Like when I was away?"

Charon's jaw opened slightly, but the sound that emitted from it sounded like the chattering of bats.

The boy nodded his head in understanding. At a young age he could pick up any language that was used in the Underworld- it helped him communicate with all the shades, he was their prince after all.

"Mumzy Gothel, again?" Anthony inquired. "That's a first. Last time she was in the Underworld was when Dad resurrected her... Is she still...?" The boy gesture to half his face.

Charon nodded solemnly.

"Lady should'a kept her end of the deal." Anthony mused.

He distinctly remembered when Hades had left her made a deal with her. It was a simple task really- she gets her life and youth back- Hades gets the key from Fantasyland. But all she did was come back, covered in small gashes along her arms and face, and twitching in fear at the slightest sound. Naturally, Hades was not happy, and in response- let's just say she won't look in the mirror for a _long_ time.

"Has the Doc come by, too? Heard Dad got him out of the Phlegethon. Whoa-"

Before Anthony could ramble on, his breath caught at the sight of the underworld palace. The first time he had ever seen it, at the wee age of two, he still had the same reaction.

A long time ago, on his first trip to the Underworld, he had been terrified of this place. Thankfully his mother had been there, holding him, and whispering sweet assurances. She too had experienced the same fright as him, when she entered the Underworld.

Something about the place seemed distinctly evil, and the bleak atmosphere that hung around the dead did not make matters any better. To top it off, he hated the vast darkness of this place, and the shades- gods, the shades. Their otherworldly glow, and the way they tried to get on the boat, made him scream.

But at the sight of the palace, the boy had stopped his screaming. Something about it called to him. Called to his inner being, like nothing he had ever felt before. His father had once said every god had felt the same reaction whenever they found their role in the cosmos. But for Anthony the feeling was one of family. He never truly had both parents there for him, and when he did the memories were sparse with several years between them.

Ever since then, he was still fascinated by the large structure, it was the one place that wherever he ran, that would always welcome him back. Being mortal or not, this was the palace where he was born, his kingdom, and his home.

The boat soon stopped.

Charon pushed his oar deep into the River Styx, and edged the ferry as close to the stone dock as possible. The ferryman regarded Anthony with a nod and pointed a skeleton hand to the two large holes, or windows, that looked like eyes; which made up the front of the palace.

Anthony turned five shades paler than usual. Muttering a quick 'thank you' to the ferryman, the boy got off the boat, and made a mad-dash up the stairs; taking five steps at a time, screaming, "Holy crap, holy crap, holy-"

For where Charon was pointing to, looking outside one of the gaping holes, was a very familiar head of blue flame.

* * *

Hades was still at the window when Anthony ran into the 'study.'

His mask clutched firmly between his hands, the boy guiltily looked down at the floor, refusing to meet his father's smoldering gaze.

"I can explain."

Hades appeared before the boy and snatched the mask away from Anthony's hands. "Heh, I'm sure you can explain. Now if I believe you-" Hades smirked, but it did not ease the intensity of his gaze, "That's another story."

Anthony's lips tightened. "Would you believe me if I said I was out on a date? A-a friendly outing with friends? Night school? Godly duties?" The boy's voice got higher pitched with each excuse. "Villainy?"

"Is that it?" Hades threatened, holding the mask high above him.

Anthony sighed in defeat. "Look it was the Muses again. They were keeping me up, singing again, and... Well I ventured out, okay? Nothing wrong with leaving the Underworld for some fresh air, right?" he gulped.

"Antonius, you've been gone for three weeks, now," Hades started. "And instead of coming straight home- you go traversing the Parks?! Do you happen to remember a certain incident of your first week living with me? Like, I don't know, setting an attraction on fire?!"

The boy raised a finger in objection. "Dad, I told you, it was just the Enchanted Tiki Room, no one's going to miss it, trust me. The original's the best anyway."

"Well your little story happened to reach the mortal newspaper, and what was the ground rules of this place?"

"Stay in the Underworld," Anthony droned.

"And?" Hades added.

Anthony groaned, "Learn how to control myself."

"That's right, kid." Hades ruffled Anthony's hair, causing angry sparks to flicker to life in the boy's hair.

"And what did I say about using this little costume?" The god gestured to the boy's suit and long black cape.

Anthony pushed his dad's hand away, and reached up and snatched the mask from Hades' hand.

"It's not a costume," he huffed. "You burned all of my clothes, remember? Leota gave me some modern clothing, dad." The boy huffed, and simultaneously smoothed down his cape.

The flame haired god, cocked his brow. "This stuff is over a hundred years old... Your practically wearing funeral clothes."

"Correction, this is formal attire from the eighteen hundreds. Worn by Master Gracey himself, and it's better than a toga and you know it!"

"It's still a dead guy's clothes..." Hades remarked. Suddenly his flames turned red, "And what's wrong with a _chiton_?"

"You sent me away after you promised to spend time with me, pops! Don't you dare bring this up again-"

* * *

 _Three Weeks Earlier_

"DAD, WHERE THE HELL ARE MY CLOTHES?!" Anthony's screams echoed throughout the Underworld palace.

Hades looked up from the paperwork scattered before him. He smirked. _I guess Antonius liked the gift I got him._

The god looked behind him, where a fire was currently burning. Yet there was no wood that was feeding the flames. Instead, it was a rather large pile of clothes.

Anthony burst through Hades' office. Unlike his usual apparel of jeans and a t-shirt, he was dressed in a one-strapped black toga, with a small skull clip.

One look at the smirk on his father's face told it all. Once again, his dad was trying to mold him into being just like him.

Hades had already mentioned several times how he hated Anthony's 'street clothes,' and had already offered several times to get him some real clothes. Which meant _chitons_ and togas.

"Dad, care to tell me what exactly I'm wearing right now?" Anthony sarcastically asked. He started nonchalantly pacing towards his dad, and tried to put on his best poker face.

Hades put on a puzzled face, as he put his hand on his chin. "I don't know, but let me say- it's a good look."

Anthony gave him a deadpanned look. "Funny... Because for some odd reason it looks like the same clothes you're wearing."

Hades looked down at his toga and remarked, "You know what? You're absolutely right- let me say Antonius, ya have good taste. Bet you take it after your old man."

Anthony was seething, his hair was burning a bright white, and he was having none of it. "Gee, dad, thanks. Personally, I was going for jeans and a black t-shirt, but when I saw this- I knew that this was the best option."

The teenager started walking toward his dad in a suspicious manner. "And you know what makes these clothes even better, _Dad_?" he hissed.

"What's that, son?" Hades exclaimed in a mock interested voice.

"It was the only clothes in my closet." Anthony now stood in front of his father's desk.

Hades cocked an eyebrow in fake astonishment. "Really?"

"Really," Anthony confirmed as he leaned over his dad's desk. "And you know what the best part is?"

Hades leaned his face toward his and cheekily asked, "What?" He bit his bottom lip, showing off his fangs to stop himself from busting out laughter.

"It means I now have the perfect excuse to buy a new ringtone."

Hades' face melted into confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Well, I know these clothes perfectly show the world who my dad is, but I felt like I needed a _special_ song to go with it."

Anthony whipped out his phone, and suddenly the most horrible song filled Hades' eardrums.

 _"Mirror, mirror on the wall_

 _Who's the baddest of them all?_

 _Welcome to my wicked world, wicked woooorld-"_

Hades' eyes started twitching, and he looked at his son, who was laughing maniacally at this entire spectacle.

"Here comes the chorus," Anthony grinned.

 _"I'm rotten to the core, core_

 _Rotten to the core,_

 _I'm rotten to the core, core_

 _Who could ask for more?_

 _I'm nothing like the kid next- like the kid next door-"_

Hades snatched the phone away from his son's hands and quickly muted it. "Okay I get it. You don't like the clothes. But come on- even Wonder boy couldn't get a hand on these nice threads."

Anthony gave him a deadpan look. "Dad, I like having nice clothes, not your clothes, but my time period clothes."

The lord of the dead groaned. "You were born five years after Wonder Boy threw me into the flippin' River. And you were born in the Underworld- ergo you're time period is ancient Greek. So shut your mouth and wear real clothes- not those tight constricting blue pants you have."

Anthony shook his head in annoyance. "Dad, look, just give me some cash I'll go and buy some new clothes, and everything will be resolved. Half of the ones currently burning were a little small anyway."

"Actually... " Hades drifted off. "The new clothes are sort of a... going away gift."

Anthony naturally shook his head in confusion. "What?"

"I'm sending you to Sparta."

Anthony's mouth opened in shock, and he immediately resorted to groveling. "Dad, have I ever told you how much I appreciate these new clothes? I mean look at the little skull clips, nice touch, adds a lot of character into it."

"Makes me want to stay by my old man's side and listen to what he says, stay out of trouble, compliment him-"

Hades roughly grabbed Anthony by the shoulder and led him to the large map.

"Look this isn't up for discussion. Lots of people are dying in Sparta right now, something with Persians- or whatever. So right now, these guys are actually worshipping me. First time ever, all because since some lion guy died, they're like: 'Hey, this Hades guy seems pretty cool taking care of the dead and stuff. All our men are dead, so hey let's make sure he takes care of us' or whatever, paraphrasing."

"And would you believe it, but I heard they are more than ready to accept a new student in the ways of fighting. Especially considering his ties to... Hey," Hades pointed at himself, "Me."

"You are a dork and you know it," Anthony muttered. "But, why?"

"Well, I happen to use my noodle way more than Mr. Wonder Breath, and you happen to be a god turned mortal thing except, my little flambé man..."

He booped him on the bridge of his nose, "You see I happen to see a lot of potential in you. But to reach your 'true potential,' as I'm putting it. You need to know how to be ready for the _important_ things in life like: fighting, fighting, and the occasional use of colorful language. And if you're ever going to fight little Jerkules, I want, you, Antonius, to end him. "

Anthony jerked out of his father's grip. The thought of killing someone made his mouth go dry. He was used to death before, but actually committing the act instead of ending one's life was completely different.

"How long have you been planning this?"

Hades laughed at the question. "How old are you, again?"

The boy's tone immediately turned aggressive, and his hair flashed the slightest blue. "Dad this isn't funny. I see people die every day. I can't do this! Why would anyone do something like that... Dad you'll be as bad as Zeus..."

Hades did not meet his son's eyes. Instead he plucked Anthony's figurine off the board, and started toying with it.

"Dad? I can't... He's never hurt anyone- he's never hurt-"

Hades slammed the figurine of Anthony on the place Sparta is located, his skin had turned bright red, and his body was outlined in red flames.

The sight left Anthony speechless.

The god slowly took a deep breath, allowing himself to cool down.

"He made me this way Antonius."

Quickly the red flames that outlined his body disappeared, and his hair turned to its normal shade of blue. When he spoke again, his voice was incredibly solemn, his eyes held the gaze of a defeated man.

"It's not my fault that I was alone with a terrible job, that you were cursed, that Seph is..." Hades did not have the strength to even say it.

"Let's just say... I'm just going to give him a taste of what he's created."

* * *

 _Present_

"So why were you really gone?" The lord of the dead questioned.

The father and son had made their way to Anthony's bedroom, and the god was curiously looking at his son's rather macabre paintings that lined the walls, and some others that were laying on the floor.

One in particular was rather unsightly, with the corpse of a young man floating on top of a clear pond, that had a million little silver and copper coins visibly seen at the bottom, and pieces of glass and plaster made its way to the bottom of the pool.

"I had a dream. Simple as that, I just wanted to see if it would come true."

"You want to tell the truth, Antonius?"

Anthony had been fingering his mask, sitting on his bed, but he had stopped at his father's question.

"Nooooooo."

Hades shrugged. "Figured. Teenagers aren't the 'talk about your feelings type.'"

Still eyeing his son, the god snapped his fingers and immediately the mask appeared in his hands, causing Anthony to flinch as it disappeared.

"You know," Hades waved the mask in the air, in a taunting manner. "I wasn't the one who came up with the mask idea. The Fates, those old hags thought it would help, ya know. And Seph, being Seph... she kind of like the idea."

Anthony crossed his arms, and groaned inwardly. Whenever his father started acting this way he was going to have lecture mode on. But the boy knew he couldn't escape it, he hadn't had one in a long three weeks. So, he got comfortable on his bed by laying down on his stomach, propping himself up on his elbow, and waved the god on.

Clearing his throat, Hades grinned, seeing the defeated look cross Anthony's face.

"If you've ever been to a Greek play, you'll know how it's like- with all the actors, and the clichéd stories about star-crossed lovers and holes in walls, but I gotta admit. They had one ingenious idea, happens every three centuries, but it happens..."

"And?" Anthony mused.

"Well," Hades said, eyeing his son's mask closely. The actors, aren't the only ones who wear masks- the courts do this as well, just not as classy as the actors, mind you. They all wear masks- called it a Persona. They believed that by putting on a mask, you could assume different roles."

Hades demonstrated by putting the mask on his face, but as he did, the mask elongated and perfectly fit his face.

"Actors could switch roles just like that, and become a whole new person."

Taking it off, the mask shrunk back to its normal size. Hades made his way towards Anthony and sat down beside him. He regarded his son with a sideways glance, and rested the mask on the small table beside the boy's bed.

"Seph... She felt like she didn't want you to be 'the other you' all the time, and having you trying to figure out who you are, she opted for the idea of you wearing this mask when you sleep- when you become... the other guy. That way you could still grow up and know the difference between who you are and who you aren't."

Anthony rolled on his side and gazed at his father. The god was so different when he put his defenses down. His mother used to tell him of the real Hades, the Hades that didn't hide behind the cheesy one-liners or the lengthy-fast talking speeches.

At times, Anthony was grateful for these moments. They were the only moments when he could see his real father, not a vindictive god, suffering from millennia after millennia of being alone. But an actual normal person.

Hades weakly smiled and ruffled his son's hair in a playful manner. "You have two people fighting for dominance inside of you Antonius- one which I hope you win."

Anthony quietly replied, "I'll break the curse, I'm even closer this time. I'm not five anymore, I won't let Him take over when I'm awake. The sessions with Madame Leota are helping, but I know they won't last forever. He's been more assertive lately, too. So much death..." he sighed.

"All of my dreams are filled with it. I feel like I might lose, just because I'll go insane before the curse is broken."

"Oi, there you go, talking all existential again," Hades commented. He got off the bed and bended down to meet his son's face.

He extended his hand and roughly lifted up his son's chin. "Look kid, I can't help you with this guy anymore. He's your problem, but what I can do is offer you something that could potentially help you."

Anthony eyed his father suspiciously. "Offer me what? Another all expenses paid trip to Sparta?" he spat.

"Actually, I'd like to offer you an apprenticeship."

The boy took a moment before the statement was fully processed, and once realizing what his father was hinting at, he burst out laughing.

"My gods, you actually think Villainy is the best option for me? Couldn't I just get a regular job at a respectable place, with un-respectable people?"

"Kid," the god exhaled noisily. "Despite you being the last person I want to be seen around with, you have _clearly_ already made this decision. First of all, the first night you get home from Sparta, you don't come home and wait for me- nope, you go out and already stir up trouble. And I don't mean the good kind of trouble- the getting _caught_ , kind of trouble."

Anthony angrily huffed and punched his mattress. "I didn't get caught. I was... simply helping the only Disney Hero that is probably a villain- you can't argue with that logic!"

"You do realize, we were going to get rid of him tonight!? Before you showed up AND SAVED HIS FREAKIN' LIFE?!" Hades bellowed.

Looking at a particularly interesting piece of the ceiling, Anthony half-mumbled, "See? This is why functional families communicate?"

The god completely froze in a horrified manner, and his eyes gazed at him in utter rage before he disappeared.

Anthony glanced around the room, wondering where his dad disappeared to, when suddenly, he heard loud screaming erupt outside his room somewhere.

A moment passed, and Hades reappeared back into Anthony's room, looking more under control, but his arms were crossed, and the occasional spark of flame that raced around his toga showed how much he was seething. His normal snarky look was replaced with such humbleness, that the boy felt a little scared.

"Antonius," Hades sighed, and sat down beside Anthony again, and put his face in his hands. "My firstborn, my heir, my only son- you are the one of the most quick-witted kid I have ever met, but Holy Hera- you have got a _lot_ to learn."

Anthony shrugged. "It kind of helps that I didn't finish sixth grade."

Hades' mouth slightly opened in a surprised matter, "Okay, we're going to fix your education problem, but right now, I'm going to set some ground rules."

"First off, you're going to start getting normal sleeping schedules," the god raised his hand to stop Anthony from protesting.

"Secondly, I'm going to start retesting your fighting skills. Fighting is _essential_ in a healthy demigod's system, plus you're always cooped up in here talking to that shade guy, what tad sushi? whatever. Thirdly, you are going to start coming with me whenever I make my deals."

The boy froze, "Why...?"

"The other you- Yellow Eyes that's what you call him, right?" the lord of the dead inquired, for which he received a quick nod from the boy.

"Anyway, he has some special talents that I have been in need of for some time. His memory wipe, is just phenomenal. I've tried Lethe water before, but that stuff isn't as strong as ol' Yellow Eyes." Hades exclaimed, matter of factually.

Anthony's brow furrowed in disbelief. "But- but that could mean me losing control! Dad, that is probably the crappiest plan I've ever heard! And I've done some pretty crappy ones, myself."

"Look, you won't know your limits if you don't ever try. Being a villain, means taking risks that no one wants to take. Mainly because of morals and other useless things, but remember the best part of being a villain is the power of the mind."

"Heroes- well, it's peachy acting on emotions, doing what's right, and hormonal imbalances, but it won't get you anywhere. _Thinking_ \- now _that's_ what makes a villain so successful."

Hades snapped his fingers and suddenly a large leather-bound book landed in Anthony's lap.

Anthony flinched as the book fell on him, and he was surprised at the weight of the thick volume. Looking at his father, the boy received a simple nod from the god.

Not thinking twice, Anthony opened the book up.

But instead of finding the rich smell of nutmeg and exotic spices that every book seemed to produce, or the pages that should have been filled with text, all Anthony found was that the seemingly thick volume, was blank.

The boy stared confused, and rapidly flipped through the pages. "Dad, what the _you_?"

Anthony stopped at the middle of the book and gave his father a deadpan look.

Hades rolled his eyes. "And I thought you were a smart kid." The god leaned over and with his index finger lightly touched one of the pages.

Suddenly, fire swept across the book, Anthony who was immune to the effects of fire, was unalarmed at the tongues of flame that burned the book. Instead he stared, transfixed, as the fire changed the pages by blackening and curling them, due to the extreme heat.

But as the two pyromaniacs looked on, they watched as the now blackened pages revealed white letters, letters that were the same color as the previously white page.

The fire quickly stopped, as soon as all the pages had been eaten up, leaving now a pile of ashes in Anthony's hands.

Hades triumphantly crossed his arms, and showed off his sharp canines. "So, do you know what to do now?"

Anthony grumbled, but he knew he had lost this round. So standing up, the boy threw the ashes in his hand up into the air, but as he did, beautiful tongues of flame escaped from his hands and hit the falling ash.

In the process, the small pieces of ash, glowed with tiny flickers of flame, and Anthony still controlling the fire, shaped the ashes into words, and the words simply spelled out:

 _"A Villain's greatest friend is the law- for it is in the law where many evil men have hidden before. But remember- the greatest downfall of any villain is falling under the spell of the greatest sins, for it is they that that has lead to our failures."_

 _"Therefore to be a great villain is to be a good man, a good clever man, who uses his ambition, his charm, his cunning and his resources, to obtain what he desires. But woe to the man who has all these things, but never chooses to act upon it."_

Anthony suddenly jerked his hands upward, like a conductor silencing his orchestra, and in the process, any signs of a spark disappeared, and in the process all the words disappeared. What was left of the ashes fell to the ground, neatly forming a tiny little journal.

The boy knelt down to pick up the shrunken book. "This is it? A shrunken version of the original book?"

"No, the volume was simply a larger version of the journal," Hades joked.

"Dad, don't get technical with me, I'm the deep thinker here. I'm the one who can write a song in five minutes in iambic pentameter, and make movie references that no one gets, and you just call people 'babe.'"Anthony snapped, while flipping through the small pages until he found page one.

"Oo, what's this?" The boy exclaimed, as he pretended to curl his nonexistent mustache.

On the first page, was the villain's creed, and at the bottom was a straight line with a small 'x' beside it. He suddenly gulped as realization struck him.

"Just sign here." Hades said, handing Anthony a skull pen.

The kid looked back, shock was written across his face. "Dad, is there something you want to tell me. You know something that's going to want make me hate myself one day? Ring any bells?"

Hades pretended to ponder Anthony's statement, but quickly replied. "Nope- not at all. But before you sign, remember, being a villain also means power, expensive friends, and man, do girls _love_ the bad boy. I mean your mom fell pretty hard, not that it wasn't easy, but you get faster results. Why? Cuz Stockholm Syndrome always works."

Anthony snorted. "Not unless Lima Syndrome hits you hard first."

Hades' face lowered into a scowl, "Demeter?"

Anthony nodded, "Demeter."

"Mother-in-laws... They never warn you on the labels," Hades grumbled. "So you gonna sign?"

Anthony sighed. "I can't say dad, I really can't say yet..."

The two drifted off into silence, contemplating what the other had just said.

But for Anthony, the anxiousness to leave the Underworld was getting the better of him, and the promise of fresh air and a hobby started looking better and better. Yet still, Hades was up to something, and if it wasn't important, he wouldn't bring his son into all this.

Especially if it meant for everyone in the Realms to connect the dots and realize that Hades is his father. However, the more important question that should've been crossing the boy's mind was whether being a villain was a good thing for him.

His mother had spent all of Anthony's childhood trying to raise him to be a good boy, and for him to forsake all of what she taught him- it would certainly make her disappointed in him. But she wasn't here. Hadn't been here for three long years, and Anthony was starting to feel the effects of his missing his mother- emotionally and mentally.

Because underneath all of the boy's funny exterior, and laid-back lifestyle- he was hurting. The boy felt deep remorse for not being able to find his mother, and the strides he has taken to catch his father's attention. Hence, his earlier stunt of being Maleficent's spy.

But the worst blow of all was his curse.

At the age of two, his very first memory, was not one of joy, not one of the good times of when his mother used to chase him around their house, and once caught, she would cover him in sweet kisses, or one where he first saw fire for the first time, or even real life.

No, for his first cognitive memory was a nightmare.

At the time, Anthony was visiting the Underworld for the first time, and that week, he had met his father. The little boy had been so excited to meet his dad that he hugged him for so long, that he fell asleep in his arms, but when he awoke, he did not awaken with a small yawn, or a little drool sliding down his mouth.

No- he woke up screaming.

Yet what made the memory worse, was the sound of his _mother's_ screaming as she beheld her little boy. Even Hades, who had seen it all, from diseases, to mutilation, to the torturous methods used in Tartarus, seeing his own son change had left him speechless.

For the boy that he held in his arms, was not a mortal anymore, but a human corpse, with a dragon-humanoid skull, and the eyes that stared back at him, were not his normal blue, but yellow slitted eyes.

Anthony had no idea what was happening at the time, but later it was revealed that he had disappeared from the Underworld, and had gone above ground.

The two underworld gods traveled across the Realms, and multiple time streams just to find him, and when they did. They found him in a school- an institute really, as a fire raged on.

Persephone had not wasted a second and had ran in, with Hades closely following. By the time they found Anthony, they found him, back to normal, hugging a horribly burned man. And behind the toddler sat a shade with a handsome, young face, and prominent ears.

"Hey little buddy, it's okay, it's not your fault."

The boy regardless, kept poking the corpse on the shoulder.

"Why, you not in thewe?"

The guy let out a melancholy laugh, "I'm a shade, buddy- the soul of that body right there."

"I do that?" The little toddler asked, looking into the large eyes of the ghost.

The jaw of the young man clenched, and he subtly wiped away a tear. "No, just a man that I once admired."

"No!" Anthony screamed, he rose to his feet and tried to grab the shade's hand, only for it to pass through him. The boy continued to try and grab the ghost's body, but each time he would pass right through.

"Swowd, I used swowd to sepawate you."

The boy looked at the guy, with a gaze that should never have belonged to a toddler, or a child, it was once filled with such seriousness, that it caught the ghost off guard.

Clenching his eyes shut, the young ghost nodded.

At this point Anthony started screaming the one word he would learn to forever fear. "Death... Death... _I,_ Death... Mama... Da..."

It was then when Persephone and Hades realized how Anthony's curse would affect him; despite being mortal.

"Shh, it's okay sparky, we're here," Persephone soothed, as she tried to tear her son away from the corpse of the man.

"No, mama, I can save him! My powaws!"

"No my little boy, your powers were never meant for this." Persephone felt her son's grip on the body lessen, and pulled the boy into her chest, despite his protests.

The pink-skinned goddess made eye-contact with the spirit of the young man, and nodded her head in sympathy and respect.

Meanwhile, Hades inspected the building, the fire was still raging, and the source was unusual. But for some reason, the god felt like his son might've caused or helped the fire spread.

"Seph," the lord of the dead called out, "How d'ya think he got here?"

Persephone, ignored her husband's calls and focused on bouncing Anthony up and down, but he continued to cry out, and scream for someone named 'Tadashi.'

"Hades," his wife whispered, and managed to point to something near the body. "What is that?!"

The grey-skinned god crouched down near the body and found a silver blade, picking it up, Hades showed it to his wife.

"Look familiar, babe?"

The blade had a black hilt, a guard decorated with thin silver vines that continued into the center of the blade, but ended in etchings of flames. Its pommel ended it a six-petalled flower with a sapphire center.

Persephone's eyes widened in shock. "H-how?! That was thrown into the Styx after Anthony was born."

"Don't you remember what it was made out of Seph?"

The pink-skinned goddess walked over to Hades and wrapped her delicate fingers around his chin, forcing him make eye contact with her.

"Hades, it wasn't your fault that you destroyed the Fates' scissors, they wanted you to do it. Just so they could make this cursed dag-"

"Fate has a cruel sense of irony, huh, Seph?" Hades pulled away from his wife's embrace and watched as the building continued to fall. The god deemed the setting quite appropriate for something like this going on

"I shouldn't have melted it! Should'a taken care of it right then and there, instead of leaving that puddle of metal." The god fumed, his body started turning a harsh red.

"Hades, this was destined to happen. We can't change Fate, and that's the moral of the story. But trust me. I became the goddess of rebirth for a reason. Anthony shares a soul with that man, he will take care of our son, he promised me when I reincarnated him, and no one goes back on a promise with the lords of the dead. Especially with you there," Seph weakly smiled, looking down at her son, whose loud sobbing had subsided to the occasional tear.

"But, Seph, reincarnating a half-crazed. psychopathic, guy wasn't smart- it's mixing with his role as Death. Don't you see?!"

Persephone gave her husband a crossed glare, and she scrunched her lips. "Are you criticizing my decision?"

Hades immediately shook his hands in horror. "No-no-no, not you babe." He poofed behind her and wrapped his arms around her, and rested his head on her shoulder. "Seph, you can't make mistakes."

Persephone rolled her eyes at her husband's weak attempts of an apology, but still leaned into his embrace.

"Wait ten years, Hades. All good things come to those who wait, and we're gods, we'll last forever. Yes, I understand I shouldn't have tested the concept of reincarnation with our son, but I was desperate. Tartarus," she cursed. "Just hearing those awful words come out of Zeus' mouth, and feeling Anthony cry inside of me- I had to think of something, and fast."

Hades understood exactly what Persephone was emphasizing. And standing right there, in a burning building with a corpse, and his family was when he truly realized how powerful Zeus' curse was.

Zeus in all his majesty chose not to curse Hades- no that would have been too easy, but his son... His son was what would've been a harsher blow.

Persephone, suddenly felt her son go limp in her arms, and she lightly kissed his sweaty forehead. "It's okay, Anthony, we'll take you home."

The goddess turned her attention to the silent shade. He was looking curiously at his body, and watched as tears of regret slid down his cheeks.

"Hades, take us home. Looks like we have a new arrival."

* * *

Hades suddenly tapped on Anthony's shoulder bringing him back to the present. "Hey, you don't have to sign yet, let's talk about why you really went to Cinderella Castle, mmkay?"

Anthony nodded slowly, and he turned his attention away from his mask to his father.

"Look, if this is about little miss angel cakes," Hades exclaimed, using his new nickname for Phoebe. "I have the strangest feeling you wanted to see her, huh?"

The boy scoffed, "What me? Look for a girl who can't remember me anymore? Nah..." the boy quipped, a little too hurriedly.

" _Sure_ ," Hades snidely commented. "But since we are on the subject of miss angel face here. There has been a new development in her role. Apparently she's going to get the job I've been hiring all these lower class villains to get: the keys to the kingdom."

"Wait a sec, you've gotten more than one?! I thought Gothel was it?"

"Oh, I've got a few more, better than that old hag. They're already starting, and soon- wow things are about to go to town. And with that magic eight ball being stolen, very soon the borders will be down, and the heroes will be distracted in the modern world so much, that we villains will easily take over the Kingdom, and let them rot in the world without Magic. So right now, it's all about who's got the keys."

"Phoebe's not going to get hurt, _right_?" Anthony asked, with an underlying tone of protectiveness.

"Well, if she goes along with the trashcan's bait, then ya, she'll die. But if she still lives- small possibility really. I've got one idea to get her out of the game- but she'll still be safe," Hades shrugged.

"Just like I promised."

Anthony gave his father a wary look. "And who's making sure of that?"

"Top men, Antonius. Top men."

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait guys, school has been hectic, but I will try and update more, beings that I finally know what direction I'm taking this story. Sorry for the slow buildup of action, but trust me, the next one, it's gonna be big. It has an adventure tag for a reason.**

 **BTW, whoever figured out who Anthony's first soul was, I'm so sorry.**

 **And yes, Anthony is Death.** **I hope I ruined someone's childhood out there. But reminder that's not his entire curse. And for anyone wondering Anthony's dagger will play a pivotal role. Oh and the reason behind the mask is finally explained! Yes it has a historical context and not a reference to a certain musical.**

 **As always fave and review, I really want to hear how I'm doing, and see how I can make my story better.**

 **Oh, and yes, I lied about Anthony not showing up in the story anymore, he is truly too much fun. Phoebe will be right back, with new problems, and... Is that new characters on the horizon, H-d?**

 **Why yes, yes it is.**


	9. How to Break rule part 1

**How to Break Every Rule on the First Day of your First Quest: Part 1**

* * *

 _"When you are pretty sure that an adventure is going to happen, brush the honey off your nose and spruce yourself up as best you can so as to look ready for anything"- From_ Pooh's Little Instruction Book _._

* * *

" _What?!"_

 _"_ Would you like to join my merry company?" Phoebe groaned, repeating herself for the fourth time.

It was Sunday morning, the day after the Council Meeting, and as usual Phoebe had awoken early to tell her sister the events that had transpired the night before: From what happened to the Vault and the information about the Kingdom Keepers to any background knowledge of the case.

"W-why me?!" Drew spluttered out.

"Because you're the only person I can tolerate for three hours."

"Well, it helps that you don't have friends, well except for the kind who mooch off of y-"

"OKAY, I GET IT!" Phoebe screamed.

Drew laughed. "Did I strike the right chord? You know it's so funny how tough you think you are, but then you're around real life and you go into your adorkable little introverted shell."

Phoebe hurriedly looked away. "I'm not shy... I mean... Oh, just leave me alone."

"Is that even okay, by the way?" Drew pondered as she started to organize her sister's news in her head.

Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief as her sister changed the subject.

"Mickey said as long as you don't say anything, and some of the princesses are going to let us borrow their sidekicks as guides... so I think its legal."

"But wait…" Drew hesitated. "When are we starting? Like right now? or like tomorrow? Maybe next Tuesday?"

Phoebe shrugged. "All they told me was to find these people called 'keepers,' and investigate some of the rides that contain animatronics... and not die."

"So all of them?"

"Looks like it. We only have two leads- The Great Movie Ride and Pirates of the Caribbean, but I figure we can go to Pirates later," Phoebe exclaimed.

"And which animatronic was found?"

The winged girl's face blanched. "The alien, from the movie Alien,1979."

"So, the one where the guy gets a facehugger and his chest bursts open?"

"Yep," was Phoebe's only reply.

* * *

"Do-do-do-do-do-do," Drew started humming the Twilight zone theme as she saw her closet become a swirling vortex.

"Don't do that- that's annoying," Phoebe snapped as she gave one last look through her backpack.

"Okay, so we got two filter water bottles, four sandwiches- two with no crust, apples- the green kind, sunscreen, and thirty dollars," Phoebe finished. Smiling to herself at the organization of the backpack, the winged girl had to hand it to Drew on everything she had prepared.

"Wait," Phoebe exclaimed. "We need extra socks- Florida is pretty wet all year round, and I would hate to walk around with wet socks."

Drew cursed silently; she had felt like she had forgotten something.

"Wait," Drew realized. "What about Merlin's book?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Fine, bring the book."

The book in question was a guide for certain magic tricks that might come in handy in case they needed some help, and it also transcribed ways one could handle all sorts of creatures.

Drew scurried to her bedside where the book was laying open. She had spent all night pouring through its yellowed pages- especially the magic spells portion. Andromeda had even tried to summon the magic in the words, but unlike her sister, she had no such spark.

But what she lacked in magic, she had in strength. Drew being twelve years old, was the very antithesis of Phoebe; not just in personality.

While Phoebe had the tell-tale signs of a late-bloomer, Drew was definitely not! Standing 5' 1" (taller than her sister by five inches), Drew was also very tan, had dark wavy hair- with some honey accents, bright almond colored eyes, and she was busty.

Wherever Phoebe and Drew went- Drew would capture the eye of several guys- and her sister was more than happy to scare them away. It was mostly out of protection for her little sister, but it was also thanks to the small twinge of jealousy Phoebe would feel whenever she saw the star-struck looks of Drew's beaus, and none of them paid any attention to her.

Of course, Phoebe would always claim it didn't bother her, but all it did was create her jealousy into simmering anger.

"Ready now?" Phoebe asked, as she helped put the finishing touches on Drew's backpack.

"Were you ready your first time?" Drew gulped. Realizing she would go through the swirling vortex of death.

Phoebe smirked. "You scary?"

Drew laughed, catching the reference. "No, but you sho' is."

Suddenly Phoebe had a sudden dark thought. "Turd," she said, referring to her sister. "You go first."

Drew chortled. "LOL, nope."

"LOL, yes." Phoebe's eyes gleamed and sparks of blue magic suddenly lifted Drew from the ground and threw her head first into the vortex.

"Phoebe I'm going to freaking kill youuuuuu- AHHHHHHH!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're the third person to tell me this week." Phoebe muttered, and jumped into the vortex behind her.

* * *

"What do you mean I'm going alone?" Drew asked as her sister handed her a map.

The two sisters were standing in front of It's a Small World, and Phoebe had decided it to be the perfect opportunity to dump Drew off at Rapunzel's castle, so she could to go have a talk with Yen Sid.

"Just go down that way-" her sister pointed to the Tangled rest stop that was located just a few feet from them.

The area was decorated to look like the Kingdom of Corona from the wanted posters, to the cottages, and the overhanging lanterns and purple flags that were dangling underneath tall black poles that jutted out of the ground, marked off by mini gardens. Yet most notably, on a hill that marked the end of Fantasyland, stood a replica of Rapunzel's Tower.

"Ugh," Drew groaned. She had feared her sister would do something like this, but with her being new to this whole 'Magic' and 'Disney being alive' thing, she knew she couldn't argue.

"Fine, where's the wardrobe then?"

Phoebe smirked. "Find the wanted poster for Shorty- the diaper wearing pub thug, and give it a kiss; that'll open the portal to Rapunzel's world.

Drew cringed in horror. "The fudge?! How do you know it opens the portal?!"

Phoebe groaned. "Look, every Disney and Pixar movie passes along secret messages about the entrances to the different realms; when Shorty floated away at the end of Tangled, he purposefully blew a kiss at the audience. Coincidence? I think NOT!"

"I ain't kissing a stupid poster! Can't I get someone else to kiss it?"

"Just get their okay? I don't care how you do it, find a way you little turd." Phoebe momentarily glanced at her watch.

"Holy guacamole, Batman- Yen Sid's going to be ticked. Look whatever you do, don't you dare talk to strangers, stay away from children, and don't do something stupid- okay bye!" The winged girl exclaimed, and spun around on her heel and left her sister gazing around, lost and confused.

The tall brunette groaned with all the ferocity of a steam-engine. "Where the heck is that poster?"

Guessing that she was going to be stranded anyway, Drew perused around the area, taking note of the small amount of people and the absence of the sun thanks to the monstrous grey clouds that hung in the sky. The wind was nonexistent, but a slight chill hung in the air, reminding the girl that despite being in Florida, winter was still present.

Still wandering around, Drew found herself trekking toward Rapunzel's Tower. As she approached it, she noticed the waterfall that ran down the hill the tower was on, and the small river that it collected in. If she had to guess this was where the water that surrounded Tom Sawyer's Island started.

Yet something caught her eye as she gazed into the small river.

A Jungle Cruise boat was gliding along it! This seemed impossible because the boat looked too big to even float along the stream, but it did, and what's more, someone was driving it straight toward a building.

Now that does seem odd, but you see the house was built atop a small bridge that allowed the stream to pass through- but surely no boat could make it through!

But for some reason that didn't seem to deter the young driver.

Drew peered at her surroundings, wondering if anyone else was seeing this, but if anything, no one bothered to look. So guessing that no one would find the boat odd, the girl guessed that this wouldn't be too odd either.

"Hey, dude!" Drew yelled, as she started to wave madly. "You're going to crash!"

The driver turned around, hearing the girl's pleas, and waved at her, and stopped the boat in its tracks. The only passenger on board noticed the boat stopping and fixed her sophisticated gaze upon Drew.

"Hello!" the driver yelled.

Drew's face fell into a frown, something about the driver seemed off. "Hi?"

"You want to hop on?" the driver called back.

The passenger jumped up as well and said, "Why, yes! Please do join us. We assure you that your company will bring only the greatest joy the world has ever seen!"

Drew was rather confused by the passenger's oddly hyperbolic speech, but seeing that it was better than kissing a poster she muttered, "Meh-" and jumped aboard the Volta Val.

Now that she was much closer to the driver, Drew was surprised to see that the driver wasn't a boy. Her haircut was extremely short, and her rather short, squat body added to the effect, but her large chests of land, quickly made Drew realize her mistake.

But now on closer inspection, she had other feminine attributes, from the ball gold earrings and the gold crescent moon necklace she wore. Her clothes were rather sun-bleached, except for her long black leather boots, for they seemed to shine even in the shade. She had on all black from her undershirt to her pants, and her black tricorne hat*, but she had a long dark jade vest that topped off her blouse. What's more was the multitude of weapons that were on her.

She had two swords strapped to her back, one a katana and the other a curved scimitar, one pistols positioned on one side, and an extra rapier that hung on her left side. In her boots, one could also see two knives strapped to each boot, and a tiny little gun that was peeping out from the inside of her right boot.

Her warm hazel eyes seemed to smile at her as she greeted her, "Hello! I'm Lauren Hancock, one of the best Jungle cruise captains in the black market!"

"Lauren," the female passenger remarked, looking down at her white parasol. "You don't tell people you're a smuggler when you first meet them, that can lead to a horrible first impression."

The tall thin passenger, regarded Drew with thin almond eyes. Something about them made it seem like she was Asian, but her brown hair tipped Drew off.

"I, on the other hand," she continued. "Will do not such thing."

She extended her hand out and shook Drew's hand. "I am Elise T. Whitmore, granddaughter of the richest industrialist in the Americas, and sole heir to the House of Whitmore."

Drew could easily see the affluence about this girl from her gloved hands, and her pretty navy blue dress, and her matching tailored blue jacket. Her hat bounced along with every motion she made, but it was rather simple, and was on the side of her head, acting more as an accessory than for blocking the sun.

Lauren laughed. "Sole heir? You have a little bro-"

"Whom we don't speak of! Lauren, you know not to bring him up in my presence!"

"Yeah, but I do what I want." the smuggler replied, receiving daggers from her friend.

"Uh-huh..." Drew stammered, and she in turn had the eyes of the two girls on her. Without thinking she muttered, "How the heck is this thing even sailing?"

Lauren laughed an unsettling laugh. "See the tarp that serves as a roof to the boat?"

The girl stepped on top of the crates that lined the interior of the boat, and gave the tarp a poke. Immediately, ripples of light danced across the surface, but they soon disappeared.

"This boat is an all-purpose boat; ya see the tarp is made out of something called a solar sail, not all of the Jungle Cruise boats come with 'em, but an old cyborg friend of mine sold it to me for a cheap price, and they help me sail anywhere, be it water or space."

"All-purpose?" Drew inquired.

"Oh, and it can travel across all the Disney Realms. That's how us skippers deliver our goods and make a living."

"Wait isn't that illegal? I thought nobody can cross over realms they don't belong to?"

Lauren scoffed. "Everyone breaks that rule. How else are people going to get wheels to the Inca Empire or animals that aren't native to certain areas? We are the reason there is carrots in Arendelle! Geez and no one appreciates us."

Drew looked closer at the steering mast of the boat, and noticed that at the side, a little controller had little symbols of all the Disney Realms, and right in the shape of a sun, the girl realized that that was her destination.

"That's nice... But, uh, can you send me to Corona?"

"Of course, she'll do that for you," Elise immediately cut in. "But I hope you are ready to sign your name in the _book_."

Lauren, gave Elise the stink eye, that girl was very prone to making business deal without her consent, but she did bring up a good point about their book. It was the sacred book that bound their group of friends, so her face quickly changed from annoyed to exuberant.

Elise momentarily brought out a small journal from one of the pockets of her jacket.

"You see it is customary for our group of friends to bind their souls into an agreement that no matter what circumstance, we shall always strive to be there for one another, choose appropriate husbands for each of us(so that we don't die alone), and take over the world by establishing a communist government."

"What is it with your fantasies about communism anyway?" Turning to Drew, Lauren gave her a reassuring look.

"Don't worry, we don't believe in communism, the last part of the deal is that we can steal any of each other's children. So want to join?" The girl gave Drew a wild smile, that made the girl take a few steps back.

Drew felt very uncomfortable around these two strange individuals.

For one thing the girls were a little bit older than her, but from what she could tell by their clothes, they came from different time periods. The captain of the Volta Val, screamed 18th century, but her companion looked like she was from the early 20th century, and selling one's soul? What kind of book was this? Andromeda was quickly realizing that her sister's advice of not talking to strangers, might have been a good piece of advice, had she not already broken it.

"Uh-huh..." Drew nodded. And quietly made her way to the farthest end of the boat- putting her a good fifteen feet between her and the strange girls.

"So... the answer's no," she shouted from the other side of the boat. "But can you take me to Corona, anyway?"

Elise's face dropped to one of horror, and her arms started shaking along with her.

"What?! That is the best deal you could ever get! I was already planning to get the three of us husbands, who are brothers, attractive, and extremely rich!"

Lauren patted Elise on the shoulder, then she took her by the side and quickly whispered. "It's okay Lise, our group will expand. But for now I have a plan... Just play along."

Once receiving a quick nod from her friend, Lauren turned to her new passenger.

"Alright, you don't want join, well, I expect payment for my services."

Drew inwardly sighed, but thought for a second. "I have a book of Magic spells- it's useless, but you can have that."

 _Phoebe is going to give me the longest butt-chew ever, but it's better than kissing a grubby poster._

"Okay," Lauren agreed.

So Drew threw the book towards the skipper, and she quickly caught it.

Handing the book to Elise, Lauren started the boat, and suddenly, the air around the boat started to morph and change, as they started to sail through what looked like a wormhole.

"Hey, girl," Lauren called. "You might start puking your guts out soon. Everyone's first time through a wormhole gets _real_ queasy."

Drew scoffed. "Yeah, right. I've ridden along in the backseat while my sister did her first driving lesson, ain't nothing gonna make me..."

The girl's mouth suddenly shut, and she put a hand to her stomach and her head started to swim. Drew grabbed the railing of the boat with her free hand and forced herself to lean over the edge of the boat.

"Wait! Don't do that, you could end up in the wrong time stream," Lauren cried, a note of worry appeared in her voice as she rushed toward her with a bucket.

Grabbing the back of the girl's shirt, Lauren pulled Drew away from the railing and shoved her face toward the pail as her stomach heaved up all that she had eaten for breakfast.

"There's a good girl," Lauren coddled, as she patted the girl on the back.

Elise, on the other hand inched closer to Lauren and handed her a tiny little metal device- which she quickly placed on Drew's back.

"Just let us take care of you... Friend."

* * *

"Now, you know exactly what to do once you find any living animatronics?" Yen Sid asked.

Ever since last week's meeting, he had gone through several checkups around the Parks, trying to find any source of evidence of more animatronics being in places they weren't meant to be. The only information that was any help at all was the fact that the trashcan was from Tomorrowland. But other than that, they had no suspects, one torn open animatronic, and six characters to find before their keys were stolen. Yen Sid had each of their names, but a couple of the guardians were a little bit harder to find. Namely Jack Sparrow and Tom Sawyer.

"Ya, knock 'em out. Get a spear jab it through its head- just like Donald."

Yen Sid groaned, he put his back to her as he started pilfering through his bookshelf, looking for something between the huge volumes.

"You can't _destroy_ the animatronics. You must find a way to disable them without completely destroying them, or even contain them. I don't want to further anger the Cast Members, they already work hard enough, hiding our existence. So that is why you are going _only_ to see if the animatronics' reach extend to more than just the Alien scene."

Phoebe was frustrated with all the rules the sorcerer kept adding to the list, but having a natural talent for arguing she stated. "But what if I have no choice and Drew is in danger?"

Yen Sid's hand slid across a familiar velvet cloth, and pulled it out. The sorcerer faced Phoebe and opened the bag in his hand, pulling out a familiar dagger.

"You can use this then," the old man handed the blade to Phoebe.

The winged girl's eyes widened at the sight of it.

Phoebe's hand hesitantly took a hold of the dagger, she stared at its intricate designs of flames wrought into the center of the blade, and at the beautiful six-pointed flower at its pommel.

The winged girl whistled in astonishment. "So...Why have you been hiding this old thing?" She then placed the dagger into her backpack.

Yen Sid's eyes crinkled in annoyance. "No particular reason, I've only been studying it for magical properties. Speaking of which, Phoebe I know this might upset you, but the carcass of the animatronic- we found remnants of magic that powered it. No one was controlling it from a computer or anything, Merlin and Dr. Jumba Jookiba have been looking into it for the past week. So all the evidence points to a magic user behind the break in."

Phoebe cocked an eyebrow. "But that doesn't make sense! Magic can't bring life to inanimate objects unless-" the girl suddenly paled as a thought crossed into her head.

"You think it's a good magic-user don't you?"

Yen Sid nodded his head once, he refused to make eye contact with Phoebe. "That is exactly what I concluded." He paused letting the information sink.

"Good magic can only bring life, or create. Dark magic, on the other hand, can't create something unless it's mean is to destroy- but even then the results aren't perfect, and they turn out deformed, hideous, and they don't function properly."

"Take the Horned King and the Black Cauldron, for example- animating the corpses of the dead did not really work to their favor. Yes, it was an unstoppable power, but they didn't function as well as what a good magic user could have done."

"The Enchantress could have literally let the flesh and blood of their former selves to grow back! Evil can do no such thing. Even Elsa, when she created Olaf, made him out of her happy memories of her childhood, but when she created Marshmallow- she was not using any of her compassion and focused more on the darkness of her Magic- resulting in his disproportionate form."

" I know, Yen Sid," Phoebe grumbled.

The sorcerer gazed intently into his student's mismatched green eyes. "Oh, my apprentice, don't you understand my predicament?"

"You think it's Blue, don't you?" Phoebe exclaimed.

"No. Actually," he mumbled, "I am lead to believe someone is trying to frame her- and copying Astraea's magic, is nigh impossible. But the Blue Fairy has lead us to believe that you might be the culprit."

"The fridge?!" Phoebe gasped.

"Aye. The other option is that she herself is the perpetrator, and as you can see, she is one of the most respected beings in the Realms. You, on the other hand, are not."

"Are you trying to tell me something Yen Sid?" the girl scowled.

"Actually, yes- I want you to convince everyone in the Realms that you aren't unstable. Solve this case, Phoebe! _But_ I want you to not use your Magic, _unless_ it's an emergency. If you destroy anything with your Magic, Maleficent has threatened- with half of the Council behind her, to abdicate you. And even Mickey Mouse has allowed this to happen."

Phoebe's eyes widened in shock. "Mr. Mouse?! the Blue Fairy?! You mean you tell me that they're both against me?!"

Yen Sid lifted his hand, halting the girl from speaking. "No Phoebe, it's a ploy. They want to be neutral in this situation. It makes them seem negotiable- of course Astraea's accusations are of a different nature. She simply wants news of you to spread. Once everyone hears about you and what's happening, sides will be chosen- and the people of the Realms can help you ferret out our culprit."

"But there is a catch."

Phoebe's eyebrow naturally twitched. "Which is?"

"This case must be solved by the Equinox of Spring, or March twentieth."

The girl started pacing the room, she ruffled her wings in an agitated manner, and she bit her lips in thought. "That's two and a half months. It can't possibly take that long to solve it," she pointed out.

"Now there you are correct, apprentice, but remember- time works differently in the Realms. Say our culprit jumps worlds- he'll be popping up now and then, while time may go fast in the modern world- in the Realms- it doesn't work that way."

"A week there can be two months here. So count the two months as a gift."

"Wait, why does it have to be the Equinox?" Phoebe asked.

"March Magic starts that day, and a new council leader will be chosen through a tournament if you don't succeed."

"Beaver nuggets," she cursed.

Yen Sid's brow furrowed. "Excuse me?"

Phoebe chuckled, "My mom doesn't let me you curse words, so I use everyday words to make myself look innocent."

"So, I guess it's up to me... Don' worry Yen Sid, _I can go the distance, if I can be strong. I know every mile will be worth my while. I-"_

"Stop, singing! that's never going to get you anywhere in life!" Yen Sid fumed.

Phoebe immediately stopped, and felt a flush of embarrassment cross her face. "Sorry, I forget you're not Drew, she's the only one who puts up with me."

"Uh-huh," Yen Sid noted. "I think after three months, I'm starting to see why..."

* * *

"Now Pascal, do you promise to help this girl out?" Rapunzel cooed, holding a small green chameleon in the palm of her hand.

Pascal nodded his head, and turned around to make eye contact with his new client.

A tall brunette, with wavy curls, giggled at the sight of the chameleon, Drew couldn't believe her luck that the two strangers had dropped her off at Corona, just as promised. They had even offered to give her their home addresses, but Drew had quickly declined, not wanting anymore to do with them.

Since then, Rapunzel had greeted Drew at the docks, and had graciously given her a tour of the kingdom, and even introduced her to the king and queen.

Rapunzel slowly held out her hands and handed Pascal to Drew.

The girl cupped the small creature in her hand, holding him like a glass figurine. "Aren't you the cutest little thing," Drew petted him on top of his head with her index finger.

The chameleon didn't complain, he loved it when anyone doted over him and this was certainly no exception.

"Well," Rapunzel broke Drew's thoughts, and she turned her attention to the princess. "I hope your sister gets here soon. Eugene was eager to meet her about some-"

Rapunzel was cut off as the sound of someone singing, started echoing in the grand hall.

 _"I will rise, I will fly!_

 _"Touch the wind and touch the sky!"_

Phoebe flew into the throne room, her wings were spread out in all their glory, and the sensation of flying just made her feel giddy all over. The winged girl proceeded to circle around the room, getting closer and closer to the ground, and landed clumsily on the floor, joining her sister and Rapunzel.

Rapunzel clapped excitedly, "Oh I didn't know you could sing!" The princess made a side-ways glance at Drew. "I thought you said her singing was.. not good."

"I never said she was bad, it's just it gets on your nerves when you live with her."

Phoebe rolled her eyes and turned to Rapunzel. "So when do you want Pascal back?"

Rapunzel shrugged. "He's his own person, but mind you he gets a little hard to find now and then- so keep a close eye on him."

Drew put Pascal on her shoulder. "He'll be safe," she assured her.

"Did I miss anything?" A very rakish voice suddenly appeared behind Rapunzel. He was holding the crown Rapunzel was wearing, and he spun it around his hand.

Drew's face dramatically changed from anger into awe, her eyes widened and she couldn't help but feel giggles erupt from her mouth. "Flynn Rider!"

Phoebe mentally slapped herself. "Drew calm down. Please, your making a scen-"

The winged girl turned around to face the ex-thief, and immediately Phoebe's face blushed a bright crimson. She lowered her eyes to the ground and instinctively started biting her lower lip.

Rapunzel quickly pecked Eugene on his cheek, and introduced him to their guests.

"So, hi- you've probably heard of me-" Eugene faced the two sisters.

Suddenly Drew took her chance and tackled him in a hug.

"Whoa!" he yelled as Drew continued to squeeze the air out of his lungs. Pascal was hanging on for dear life, swinging back and forth on a strand of Drew's hair.

"Drew," Phoebe forgetting her previous shyness, shouted. "Let the poor man go!"

"Shut up, he turns me on!"

The winged girl managed to catch Pascal, and lowered him safely to the ground. She then proceeded to remove Drew from the struggling man, by trying to yank on her sister's shoulders.

Phoebe pulled with all her might, but her sister's grip was too strong. It did help that her younger sister had the advantage of size on her side.

"Drew, I swear your embarrassing me!"

"I will never surrender! Do you know how long I've waited to see a Disney Hero?"

"That's it!" Phoebe roared, she let go of her sister and immediately, a blue aura surrounded Drew and she was pulled off of Flynn.

Drew was slightly annoyed that this was the second time her sister had used Magic to do things she didn't want to. God, she was starting to get in control of her Magic more and more, but slowly, so has her addiction to using it.

Phoebe set the girl down and suddenly extended her hand and roughly shook Eugene's hand in greeting.

The girl's face was still extremely annoyed. She huffed, "Howdy- nice to meet you. The incarnation of Magic and leader of the Council of Magic at your service- sorry about my sister."

His eyes suddenly widened in astonishment. "Phoebe is that you?! You look... young."

"Excuse me?" Phoebe let go of the man's hand, her stance changed to defensive. "I may be a late bloomer- but twelve, I do not look," she snapped.

"No- not that way... Wait," Eugene's eyebrow cocked as he took in Phoebe and her sister. "Where's what's-his-face- why do you wear your hair like that- your even shorter than last time- why do you have wings- what is even happening right now?"

Rapunzel looked between her husband and Phoebe. Uncertainty flashed in her eyes, "Phoebe, I didn't know you two have already met?"

Phoebe's frowned in confusion. "We haven't. Mr. Eugene- when exactly was the last time you saw me?"

"I don't know? Maybe... twenty years?"

The winged girl's lips became tight, and a bemused looked crossed her face. "Yeah, I don't think so."

Drew laughed, and popped her head between Eugene and Phoebe. "Can I guess now that there is such a thing as time travel?"

Phoebe shot her a poignant stare, but Rapunzel seemed to consider it.

"Well... I've heard talk that Pixar has such technology."

The winged girl's hands suddenly were on either side of her face. "The freaking Pizza Planet truck! That's why it's in every movie- that's righteous, man," she exclaimed in a surfer dude accent.

"Phoebe your nerd is showing... Oh, Flynn," Drew interrupted. "How does Phoebe look? Does she finally get rid of her 'I don't care how I look' phase? And does she finally wear shoes _other_ than Nike?"

Drew was about to go on, but she was suddenly lifted off of the ground. Pascal as well, found himself being lifted into the air, and was set on Drew's shoulder.

Phoebe had her hand raised, a light blue aura surrounded her hand. Her eyes pulsed with power and annoyance, hand still raised, she walked out of the grand hall, her wings started extending and she took off running- and suddenly she was in the air.

"It was nice seeing you again, Rapunzel. Eugene?... Sorry about Drew."

The sound of a window breaking echoed in the hall.

Eugene and Rapunzel shared a look.

"Hey, we're alone now. No little frog, no guards, no parents; I am seriously starting to like the married life." Eugene put his hands on his hips.

Rapunzel shook her head, and quizzically poked Eugene's chest. "You mister got to talk. If you were six when you met Phoebe- why do you remember her so well?"

Eugene encircled his arms around Rapunzel's waist, he took in the feeling of her body against his, before he replied.

"Her companion drew a picture of her- he said the wanted sign of her didn't give her justice. I kept it for several years, but one day I lost it on the run."

"So that's why you're so picky about wanted signs- wait!" Rapunzel slightly pushed back, to look her husband in the face. "Phoebe and her friend were criminals?"

"No," Eugene shook his head. "They were running."

"From who?"

Eugene softly lifted Rapunzel's chin, and kissed her.

"Themselves."

* * *

 **A/N*: The tricorne hat, for those who don't know, is pretty much the pirate's hat you see the cast of Pirates of the Caribbean wearing all the time. I personally like looking for the proper names of hats and other types of clothing.**

 **As you might have noticed this is half of what was going to be the chapter, but it was getting way too long, but I have already started the second half, so i'll probably get it done by next week.**

 **Special shout out to the Commie and Pig that helped with my characterization in this chapter. And I would pay special attention to the books and journals that are circulating throughout this story, but especially that little dagger.**

 **Yes, I made the pizza planet truck a time machine.**

 **As always fave and review, fanfic authors do not receive money, and live off praise. We are selfish that way(well at least I am).**


	10. How to Break Every Rule Part 2

**How to Break Every Rule on the First Day of Your First Quest: Part 2**

* * *

 **It is a wise man who knows where courage ends and stupidity begins- Jerome Cady**

* * *

It was about five when Phoebe, Drew, and Pascal stood outside the entrance to The Great Movie Ride. The large attraction was modeled after the famous TCL Chinese Theatre from the two lions guarding the front, the large golden Chinese dragon decorating the entire front of the building, and the Asian-styled roofs. Two doorways led guests to the Fastpass+ and regular lines, and the area in front of the ride there were several handprints of the greatest actors and actresses of all time.

"So what now?" Drew asked in between sips of water, she was slightly annoyed that they had not met Ariel on their way over here.

It wasn't very hard to move across worlds, but after running from the world of Tangled, jumping into the world of Little Mermaid (via river), they eventually found a door in prince Eric's castle that eventually led to the Little Mermaid theater at Hollywood Studios.

"We go in," Phoebe bluntly replied.

"Well I know that, but do we just march in and flash our pack of Marlboros, saying we're cops or something?"

Phoebe sighed, she had a sudden itch to flex her wings, but they were currently tightly bound underneath her shirt. "I didn't think this through, did I?"

"Nope," Drew agreed.

The girl's gaze shifted to the regular line, "Well... I'm going in the slow line."

"But that's going to take forever," Phoebe argued. "Plus, I don't know exactly when I got to return Pascal!"

"Oh shush, turd. First of all- you ain't even got a plan! So I suggest you start coming up with one _while_ we're waiting in line."

Drew didn't wait for a response and marched on over to the end of the line.

Phoebe was about to come up with a snide comeback, but she realized her sister was right. But more importantly Drew helped her realize something.

The winged girl decided to get a Fastpass, and went up to a Cast Member, dressed in a red Chinese vest, with a matching hat. He was in his late fifties, and he had a receding hairline, and tinted glasses. He was manning the ride from the outside, standing directly underneath a small kiosk, that had the same roof as the ride, just smaller.

"What can I do for ya?" he promptly asked, subtly looking around for Phoebe's parents.

"First off, I don't have a fastpass, but I only have one way to get it. Can you help me sir?" Phoebe politely asked, adding a large smile.

The Cast Member looked peculiarly at the short girl. Her mock kindness reminded him of his niece; that girl was by far so lazy, but sneaky.

"Alright then- so what do you need little lady?"

"Alrighty. I know those lions in the front aren't lions- they're dogs. Now I've heard a rumor that if I can tell the genders of the two dogs, I get a Fastpass, right?"

The old man laughed. "Is that what everyone is spreading on the internet. That is a doggone myth- pun intended. But heck, this is Disney World. Why, if you guess correctly, I'm going to let you go through the Fastpass. Does that seem fair?"

Phoebe smirked. "Okay..." She turned her calculating gaze and stared long and hard at the two statues. From a distance one couldn't really tell exactly the true difference between the dogs, so Phoebe suddenly had an idea.

"You don't know the genders of the dogs do you?"

"Not at all," he admitted. "This is my first week working at this ride. I just switched from the Enchanted Tiki Room, over in Magic Kingdom."

"So, is it okay if I just go to the Fastpass line?"

"I don't see why not." The man handed her a Fastpass+, but she requested another for her sister.

"Thanks Bruce-" Phoebe beamed, now noticing his nametag. "I hope I'll see you again before I leave."

As soon as those words fled her mouth, she whistled for Drew, and the two jumped into the fast line, leaving the Cast Member quite puzzled.

"Yep, worse than Tammy," He sighed, thinking once more of his niece. Where was she at again? Ah yes, running amuck with that crazy season pass her parents got her.

* * *

"Mushu..."

"Mushu, wake up! She's here!"

A thin little red dragon twitched in his sleep. He had the sudden feeling that somebody was calling his name, but the aftereffects of a soothing bubble bath made him brush away the noise by covering his head with a pillow.

"Mushu!"

"I can't hear you..." Mushu sing-songed in his sleep.

"Mushu! She's near the entrance to the world of dragons!"

The small red dragon sat up in his makeshift bed. "I'm up!"

"Wait which _She_ we talkin' 'bout? Is it Maleficent again? Cuz, man, the last time I saw her- she was all like 'step aside peasants,' and being from China, I know exactly how that's like with the whole Feudalism thing going on and the stupid guardianship thing I had going along, but, helps the Fa family."

The large dragon decorating the Great Movie Ride, nearly rolled his eyes, but his eyes were immobile, and so was the rest of his body. His mouth was frozen as well, but he could project his voice anywhere. He was put here a long time ago, for the sole purpose of guarding the only entrance to the world of dragons. Since then, he had been used to dealing with the job alone; until Mushu showed up looking for a guardian position.

"No, Mushu, it's the Magic girl. I can hear Vanessa's voice from here."

Mushu peaked over from his hiding place, his whiskers started twitching uncontrollably. "Man, why do we even have to watch for her?"

"Because it was your fault you released Onarios to the world! And if Vanessa jumps into our world, who knows what she'll learn about us?!" the dragon huffed. " She must never know the hiding place of the dragons! She won't stop till her revenge is complete!"

"And if this girl truly cares for our race," the mosaic dragon added. "She won't want Vanessa near her or us! Now go and keep her safe!"

"Yeah, yeah, don't put your tail in a twist, you stupid excuse for a decoration," Mushu half-grumbled underneath his breath.

He crawled down his hiding place on the roof, following Phoebe and Drew as they ran through the Fastpass line.

Mushu frantically scurried after the girls, using his serpentine grace to dash through the building, unnoticed. He finally managed to catch up to them as they reached a large dark room where a huge screen had a projection with commercials for several prominent classic movies.

Using the darkness to his advantage, the tiny dragon stood right next to Phoebe and Drew, as they stared transfixed at the commercial for 'The Adventures of Robin Hood.' Being extremely careful- he jumped as high as he could go, and managed to grab onto Phoebe's backpack; thank goodness she's short!

He easily climbed to the top of the backpack, unzipped it, and climbed right in. As a final measure, he zipped up the bag, concealing himself from both girls and Pascal.

Now all he had to do was wait and listen.

This would probably be easy an easy task for him. After all, considering how he himself, valiantly protected Mulan from the Huns - this would be a piece of cake.

Yeah everything was going to be all right.

He hoped.

* * *

"Phoebe follow me," Drew instructed. Using her height, Drew pushed her and her sister through the crowd, all the way to the front row for seating for the ride.

Soon, the two sisters occupied an entire row to themselves. This usually wasn't the case though, but the front row had the smallest row since it was reserved for the handicap, and it was the same row as where the host for the ride stood.

Phoebe removed her backpack and set it down in front of her feet. The winged girl hated lugging things around, especially since she did that every day at school.

She turned to her sister, who was playfully entertaining herself, watching Pascal disappear into his surroundings.

"Okay, ground rules." Phoebe scratched underneath Pascal's chin before she continued. "First off, we don't ever step off this vehicle. Number two: keep your eyes peeled for any animatronics in places that shouldn't be there; like Indiana Jones in Wizard of Oz, or Mary Poppins in the Tarzan and the Apes section, we're here to observe and report only."

"You should know considering how many times we've ridden this." Phoebe commented, noticing the lack of attention she was receiving.

"Drew, listen to me!"

Her sister rolled her eyes, "I can hear you, stop screaming, woman."

Phoebe sighed inwardly. "Fine, anyway; thirdly: if you're in danger, run to the Beauty and the Beast theater, Belle has her doors open for anyone, and she said it was okay if I wanted to drop by."

Drew looked at her sister oddly. "Leave _you_ alone? Seesters fer-ever!" she exclaimed in a severe lisp. "Plus, I can fight you know. Give me an axe and a beautiful steed; I'll be okay."

"Drew, I'd rather give an axe murderer the axe and horse than give one to you. But you can relax, it's not like we're going to see any action," Phoebe added.

Drew set Pascal on her shoulder, and she loudly whispered to him. "I'm not the one that needs to relax."

Phoebe stuck her tongue out at Drew. Her sister rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to the little chameleon, leaving Phoebe to brood and wait for the guide to get on the vehicle.

Stepping onto the tour 'car,' Bruce from earlier, had changed into a khaki suit and red undershirt. He grabbed the microphone that every host used to narrate the ride.

At the sight of Phoebe, Bruce, gave her a small wave and leaned over the small wall that separated him from the guests.

"Hope you like the seats... Wait a second, I never got your name."

Phoebe hesitated. She immediately regretted not thinking of a background. The winged girl's mind buzzed flipping through countless names until she heard herself say,

"I'm Max." she fibbed. "Maximum Ride, at your service."

Drew turned to Phoebe suspiciously, but she quickly realized the necessity of the situation. "And... I'm- I'm her twin, Judy Sparkles!"

Bruce eyed the two suspiciously. "Why do you have two have different last names?"

"Middle name," Drew quickly replied. "I'M JUDY SPARKLES RIDE!"

The Cast Member was about to comment, but decided against it. "Well alright... Nice to meet you girls... Enjoy the ride."

Phoebe plastered a smile on her face, "Thank you."

She then turned and gave Drew a deadpan look, whispering, "Judy Sparkles? Twins? Really?!"

"Sorry, I watch _way_ too much TV cuz your gone all the time."

Phoebe sighed, and put a hand to her forehead. Her other hand rested against the cool plastic wall that shut where she had entered into the vehicle.

"I need more friends."

"Drew I swear that mannequin moved!"

Phoebe pointed to a pyramid of showgirls, who all looked exactly the same, including the same shiny bathing suit, and the same position of raising their hands to the sky.

The ride had just begun, and it seemed at every change of scenery, Phoebe was acting very paranoid. Drew was used to this type of behavior at home(the night before her sister took a test) but it seemed this growing anxiety was not fit for a mission like this. Especially when it was rightfully Phoebe's to accomplish.

"Phoebe, the ride just started, calm down." Drew exclaimed, "Even Pascal agrees with me."

The girl pointed to the little chameleon who was sitting on the top of the rim of the vehicle, his eyes were sharp, gazing at the changing landscapes.

Phoebe muttered a soft, apology, and opened her backpack, looking for the dagger.

Not looking into the bag, Phoebe dug into the backpack trying to feel the familiar feel of metal, her hand suddenly touched a foreign object, that felt almost like a snake. The winged girl yanked back her hand, and held back a squeal of shock.

Processing what just happened, she tore open her bag, and found a small red lizard, okay, so it's a dragon.

"Holy cow, Mushu I thought you were a snake!" Phoebe loudly whispered, catching the attention of the family behind her.

"Shh!"

Phoebe looked back at the family of five and apologized. "Sorry, my sister... Uh, stole my grapes."

Drew, now noticing Mushu's presence, looked back at the family. "It's true, I like living on the edge."

The father gave the two smiling girls a steely gaze, allowing the two girls to return their attention to Mushu.

"I can explain," the dragon quipped, looking between Pascal, Drew, and Phoebe.

Pascal jumped off his place on the side and landed smack dab in front of him. The feisty green chameleon gave Mushu his signature stare.

"And what are you a frog?" Mushu scoffed. The dragon made his way onto Phoebe's shoulder, and casually splayed himself out.

Phoebe felt like shoving the dragon off her shoulder, but she forced herself to be considerate. "Mushu, how are you even here?"

"I'm the guardian of this ride, and seeing you here, Vanessa-" he poked the winged girl's neck accusingly. "I got a little bit suspicious, so I followed you two."

Pascal stuck out his tongue at Mushu.

"Okay fine, the three of ya. You're a nasty frog, ain't ya?"

"Chameleon," Drew corrected as she picked up Pascal and put him on her shoulder.

"Whatever, but what are you guys even doing here?" Mushu asked.

Phoebe looked down at the dragon resting on her shoulder. "We're here to see if the alien was the only animatronic that went haywire. Something you _should_ know considering how you're the guardian of this place."

"Did I mention part-time?"

"Phoebe," Drew interrupted. "We have a problem."

"Because that always has a good connotation," Phoebe mumbled. Turning her attention to where her sister was pointing, the winged girl noticed they were now in the mobster scene.

Picture New York City in the slums, Great Depression time period, with your broken-down motel, closed bars, old rotted electric posts littered here and there along with half of the streetlights broken. The poverty of the setting was quite noticeable, and the lighting was dark to depict the night time activities of gangsters.

"That guy you always see when you enter is gone- the guy from 'Public Enemy'!" Drew exclaimed.

Mushu poked his head through Phoebe's honey blonde hair and realized she was right. "Wait a second, he's over there!"

The dragon pointed to a beaten up old shack, right at the end of the gangster scene, usually where a Cast Member dressed as a gangster would 'steal' the vehicle from the audience's host, and continue on the ride.

Phoebe felt the familiar feeling of anxiety well up in the pit of her stomach. It didn't help that the vehicle suddenly stopped.

"Stick 'em up!" A voice thick with an upstate New York accent shouted, as he walked onto the porch of the shack.

Phoebe took a sigh of relief; the ride was still going on as normal.

The Great Movie Ride was notorious in literally trying to immerse the audience into the whole 'going into the movies' theme; which meant that the ride would be commandeered by an actual character from a movie, only to later be replaced by the original host at the Egyptian scene.

And right on cue, the gangster showed up to 'steal' the vehicle from the unsuspecting host.

Dressed in a black pin-striped suit, with matching fedora, a man in his early twenties stepped into view, a pistol locked firmly in his hand.

Bruce, the host, went along with the act and raised his hands up in mock defense. "I ain't looking for trouble, Mr. Osborne, honest."

"Hey, how d'ya know my name?"

"Well," Bruce continued, stepping off the vehicle and put a good fifteen feet of distance between him and the gangster. "I've seen you in the movies."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the gangster cut off as he pointed his gun at Bruce. "What is it with you guys and the mov-"

A shriek emitted from Mr. Osborne's mouth as the animatronic that had been standing on the porch, lashed out and gave him a firm right hook to the jaw, knocking the Cast Member unconscious.

"We are going to die."

All the tourists behind Phoebe and Drew screamed in terror, most of them had ridden the ride before, and they knew that this wasn't a part of the storyline.

Phoebe suddenly felt herself being shaked into reality as Drew grabbed her arm. Reacting, the two sisters grabbed the back pack and jumped out the vehicle. Thankfully, since the ride was used to the Cast Members disembarking for certain parts of the ride, no alarms went off.

Hiding behind the vehicle, the sidekicks and the sisters watched the scene unfold.

The animatronic, took the gun from the unconscious Mr. Osborne, and pointed it straight at Bruce.

"What the hell is going on?!" The wizened cast member shouted.

The mobster animatronic only smiled and cocked the gun, and pulled. Everyone on the vehicle flinched as one, the sound of the gunshot hung prevalent in the air, but no bullet was released.

"Thank God for blanks," Phoebe sighed.

Mushu started erratically poking Phoebe's neck. "We got a lot more to worry 'bout, honey," he exclaimed pointing to the Model T that pulled up from a dark alley, right behind them.

The mobster threw the gun away and pulled out his own from his coat pocket.

"Hey boys, load 'em up!"

Two Tommy guns were hanging out of the car's windows, they were pointing straight at the guests. The head mobster animatronic got down from the porch, and signaled three more animatronics, who were all hiding behind a bunch of crates and barrels, to get on the vehicle. But they weren't complete animatronics- only the torso up so they were nailed in place, but that didn't prevent them from using their pistols.

Mothers grabbed a hold of their children, while two of the fathers rose up and tried to help, only to be stopped at gunpoint.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," one of the mobsters warned.

Phoebe turned to her companions. "I got a plan. Mushu, set the Model T on fire, Pascal get to the controls and open up the gate so we can escape to the next scene, Drew," she stared long and hard at her sister.

"Stash the backpack."

"What?! No 'hey Drew do something cool and explode stuff?!'"

The winged girl rolled her eyes at her sister. "Your more important than anyone else here."

"Phoebe, I'm not eleven anymore!"

"Shut up I'm trying to think!" Phoebe screamed, a _lot_ too loud.

"Well, well, well, who'd we have he-uh?"

"Fiddlesticks," Phoebe cursed as the four companions looked up to see two of the hobo animatronics in the Model T, training guns right at their heads.

Suddenly a wild idea entered Phoebe's head.

"Screw it," she screamed as she grabbed the dragon from around her neck and threw him at the mobsters.

"What the-"

The two animatronics flinched back in surprise as the dragon flew towards them, and using the distraction to her advantage, Phoebe stood up from her hiding place and rushed forward, grabbing the barrel of the gun from one of the surprised animatronics.

"Drew, get the vehicle moving!"

Her sister quickly nodded her head, but for some reason she ran behind the vehicle, and hid.

Phoebe meanwhile positioned the Tommy gun in her hand toward the face of the two animatronics as they struggled with the feisty dragon. The girl made her way to the Model T and opened the driver seat door and signaled for the driver as well as the other mobsters to get out of the car.

"Not so fast sweetheart," she heard as the animatronic from Public Enemy had finally noticed what was going on, and took a gun out of his coat pocket and trained it at her.

The other animatronics in the car, pulled Mushu off his face and trained their gun at her.

Phoebe froze. Mushu's eyes bugged out as he was held in the firm robotic arm, and the adrenaline pumping in her veins made her logical side come in.

 _God_ , she silently prayed, _if this works..._

Seeing that the girl was complying, the head mobster smiled. "That's a good girl. Now put the gun d-"

At that moment, the hood of the Model T flew open, and Mushu as well, suddenly felt the grip around him become loose, only to be taken over by a blue aura and he flew in front of Phoebe and blew a torrent of flame at the unprotected engine.

The screams of the burning animatronics erupted as the flames greedily started eating up their old clothing and plastic faces. Even the people on the ride vehicle screamed in shock.

The winged girl's irises burned purple, but she shook her head and turned her head away from the awful sight, while the Model T was bathed in flames.

Mushu flew flying through the air and landed on an unsuspecting boy's head.

Drew suddenly reappeared, Pascal on her shoulder. Using the explosion to her advantage, she stood where the host manned the controls, Bruce ran up behind her and after watching her trying to move the vehicle, he flipped the correct switch, moving the vehicle and opening the door that lead to the next scene.

"Hey wait for me," Phoebe screamed as the vehicle went on behind her.

But suddenly the head mobster blocked her path.

Drew and Phoebe briefly made eye contact, and Phoebe signaled for her to keep going. Drew had a rebellious look on her face, but instead of following her, she held up the dagger, and threw it as close to her sister as possible.

Phoebe watched as it fell to the ground a few feet in front of her; and in front of the mobster. The winged girl took a threatening step forward, but the mobster retaliated and lifted his gun at her face.

It was not the gun he had taken from the Cast Member, but his own. Phoebe wondered if the gun was real or not, considering how Disney wouldn't be too keen on loading up their animatronics with unnecessary details.

The Public Enemy character smiled, and casually made his way toward the dagger on the floor.

"You know how long it's been since I could freely move? Just watching the world go by, but stuck in one place forever? Jesus, it's awful, but you wouldn't know that would ya?"

"You and I both know that that gun isn't loaded," Phoebe retorted, that determined look in her eyes didn't match her petite height.

Even the animatronic, who wasn't human felt the power radiating off that gaze, and stopped in his tracks.

The animatronic shrugged and threw the gun to the side. "Look toots, I ain't here for a fight. I only want that little piece of plastic there," he pointed at the blade.

Phoebe felt small sparks of energy pop out of her hands. Her magic was heavily reacting to her feeling of danger, and even though she had learned to control the feeling of being overrun by the full current of Magic, she was going to crack.

The small feats of Magic she had performed were simply parlor tricks that she had learned to harness, but they barely helped her in releasing the full brunt of it.

"Why the dagger? It isn't special... is it?"

"Look lady, lots of things in this world ain't really that special, but I'll be damned knowing the lengths we go through to make 'em seem like they are."

Phoebe lifted a surprised eyebrow, "That's oddly poetic for a gangster... But sir you made one mistake." Her mouth twitched as if something was bothering her.

"Language!"

Her left hand jerked out, and as if she was using the Force she felt herself reaching out to take the Magic that was powering the animatronic. It was a spell that Yen Sid specifically told her had been Vanessa's own invention, and no one else had been able to use it before. The sorcerer felt that one day Phoebe would master it, but she never even tried the spell. And as she cast it, she found that either the robotics and metal were blocking the magic from being taken out, or her powers simply didn't comply.

The animatronic laughed, when Phoebe's arm fell. "Well, I guess you aren't so powerful after-"

Phoebe didn't wait for him to gloat, and a sense of urgency moved her to lung forward, and grabbed the dagger that laid between them.

The mobster reciprocated, and roughly grabbed her right arm, narrowly missing her shoulder.

In reflex, Phoebe felt her wings tear out of her shirt, creating two thin lines in her shirt, where her wings stuck out properly, and using her right wing she continually slammed the mobster to let go of her arm.

This, however didn't seem to deter the animatronic, and he reached toward the dagger in the girl's left hand.

Feeling the tight grip of the automaton's hand on her, Phoebe screamed in pain, and, her eyes immediately turned purple, and one of the telephone poles that stood on the side, suddenly lifted from its place, and came straight at the animatronic.

The mobster saw the flash of brown, and let go of Phoebe's arm. The girl fell to the floor, losing her balance, she tried to stand up, but the winged girl felt extremely dizzy.

Using that amount of raw magic, caused a migraine to rake her head, but even that didn't stop the telephone pole from pinning the animatronic to the other side of the street.

Phoebe quickly gasped as the purple aura that surrounded the pole had disappeared, and immediately her irises returned to their normal shades of green. In the corners of her mind, the girl could hear Vanessa's dark victorious laugh, as she once again gained control of the girl's body.

"Watch out, child, the more Magic you use the more I'm in control..." Vanessa snidely mused.

The earlier warnings of Yen Sid to refrain from using her Magic, came back to her thoughts, and now she understood: If she truly wanted to master being Magic, she couldn't use her powers. The less she used them, the less likely the former host of Magic would gain full access to Phoebe's body.

Phoebe gasped as full realization hit in, and as she stared at the impaled animatronic.

Who knew that the saying 'all magic comes with a price,' could even apply to the very embodiment of it.

* * *

"Catch her signal yet?" Lauren asked, as she continued to steer her boat through the wormholes.

"Not quite yet," Elise said, as she held what looked like to be a tablet in her gloved hands.

"But it seems I'm getting a strong signal from Hollywood Studios, perhaps, she's over there?"

Lauren nodded at this new piece of information. "Hmm, I wonder how she even got there?"

"I don't know," Elise admitted. "But from what I can gather from that spell book she traded us, she is not alone. She is travelling with a companion by the name of Phoebe, who seems to be the owner of the book, thanks to her name being inscribed on the first page; and by looking at the name of the author, I can clearly conclude that this girl is trained in the magical arts since Merlin was the one to have written this book."

"Also, there was a white feather in the book, that I assumed was used as a bookmark," Elise examined as she twirled said feather around. The feather was not that big, probably the size of a toothpick, yet it seemed to gleam in the light of the glowing yellow and blue vortex.

"But the book seems to be our greatest lead."

Lauren, stared on ahead, as the wormhole, split into two paths, and she took the right tunnel.

"Well, that seems pretty accurate, the guests can't see us unless they have the Spark, but it looks like our new friend might be more valuable to our cause than what I originally thought."

The wormhole, quickly opened up, and a gaping hole appeared before the Volta Val, and slowly the boat started floating into a body of water.

"Echo Lake, Hollywood Studios," Lauren announced as her vessel was fully immersed into the water, and once again, the feeling of being home flooded back into her.

"Ah, finally," Elise mused. She stood up from her crate and admired the dark waves that lapped at the boat.

"Oh," Elise squealed, "I'm getting a stronger signal! She's on the premises, if only we knew where?!"

"Don't worry, " Lauren assured her friend. "There has _never_ been a person I couldn't find," and she steered her boat around a giant sea green dinosaur that stood out prominently in one side of the lake, it's plaster eyes stared at nothingness.

The two girls saluted the large dinosaur, whom many should know, is named Echo. The lake, if you haven't figured it out, is named in her honor.

"Huh!" Elise squealed, as they neared a large boat that served burgers and chicken strips. "I'm getting a stronger signal!"

Lauren whooped, "Told ya!" But the skipper didn't stop the boat, and they instead, kept circling the lake.

"Wait a second..." Elise muttered. "It's gone again. Looks like we have to keep searching."

Lauren shrugged, "Eh, we got all day."

After another full rotation, Elise picked up a higher signal. "I got it again!- Wait now it's gone..."

"Another round it is!" Lauren shouted, and on the girls went, circling and circling. Hoping, that after circling the lake enough times, they would find Drew and whoever else she was travelling with.

* * *

Once Phoebe got under control again she neared the fallen animatronic. The large telephone pole had successfully pinned him to the side of one of the buildings, but despite the huge pole through his chest, he seemed fine.

"Oh my God, what did I do?..," she murmured, horrified at what she had just done. She held the dagger close to her chest, as if it could protect her from herself, and lightly poked the animatronic to search for signs of life.

"Who made you?" She whispered to herself, when suddenly the mobster laughed, causing Phoebe to flinch back away from him, and hold the dagger threateningly in front of her.

Its unblinking glass eyes stared at her with absolutely no emotion, but the voice that echoed out of him, seemed to make up for it.

"He ain't alive or dead, toots, and whatever hocus pocus you got going on, he's got better."

"I'm Magic, you little turd. I don't think so," Phoebe scoffed. "Now who else is like you? Seeing how you and your goons are alive, I'm guessing there's more."

"I ain't tellin' ya," he spat. "And I certainly ain't gonna..." The animatronic's mouth fell slightly open as his glass eyes trained onto something behind Phoebe. "You..."

The winged girl's wings felt a powerful rush of invisible magic, skim near her and hit the animatronic pinned to the floor.

The animatronic that had previously been jerking underneath the telephone pole, went slack.

Phoebe immediately crouched down and shook the mobster. "Hey automaton- what was that? Wake up man... robot-thing..."

Seeing that she was getting no response, Phoebe gave up and rose to her feet, she turned her gaze to where the mobster might have been looking at, but found zilch.

"I'm sorry," Phoebe whispered. The look of horror had left her face, but something about seeing something like this unnerved her.

The sound of a distant vehicle and a new host prompted the girl to travel further into the ride; giving the animatronic one more look, she found a tarp and tried her best to cover up the gruesome sight and ran into the Western scene.

The scene around the girl changed from dark and dreary to a lighter setting, filled with warm lighting, and on either side of her was your stereotypical ghost town, complete with your very own saloon, feed stores, lazy sunset, and walls littered with countless wanted signs of the most notorious evil-doers of the West. And who else could've caught them, but the two greatest celebrities in Hollywood: John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.

Being from Texas, Phoebe felt like saluting these two men, but she was still wary of the animatronics, and decided to walk briskly through the ride; at least they were in the right place.

The large side of a red barn, marked the end of the Western scene, and not thinking too much into it, Phoebe lifted her hand and whispered, _"Alohomora!"_ And the gate opened.

The winged girl couldn't help but smile cheekily, for she knew that that spell didn't actually open the gate, all it did was show her true nerdy side.

"Always," Phoebe muttered and walked through to the next scene, but she immediately regretted it; because the gate behind her closed automatically.

This scene was much more darker compared to the gangster scene, and a lot more freaky. Sirens were going off, along with yellow and red blinking lights, steam escaped out of busted pipes, cameras lined the ceiling displaying a map of the shuttle and what was lurking about in the shadows, and empty astronaut suits lined some of the walls. The entire setting was futuristic because of the rocket ship-like feel and how the windows to her right showed millions of blinking little stars. Phoebe was reminded of Star Wars, but Star Wars not it was- it was something else entirely.

Rubbing the hilt of the dagger, Phoebe proceeded deeper into the scene, and briefly looked up and behind her, fearing that someone, or something would pop out. Moisture from the pipes dripped from the ceiling, and each time a drop hit her, Phoebe would flinch and madly wave the blade around as if she was in immediate danger, but each time, she would realize her mistake, take a deep breath and continue along her way.

The setting started to open up, and Phoebe spotted her first animatronic: Ellen Ripley. The animatronic was of a tall lady with dark hair, leaning against a wall as her eyes moved back and forth, holding a large gun, waiting for the same creature that the winged girl was watching out for.

The girl gulped knowing full well what this scene contained, and of what was about to come. Phoebe only moved forward because she knew that one of the aliens in this scene was far away in a lab, but there still remained one. If only she knew exactly which one to look out for.

"Come on Phoebe," she told herself. "You are a brave soul, you took the Pottermore test and got sorted into Gryffindor, this is nothing..."

Phoebe suddenly stopped as she heard something scurrying along the floor. Amid the blinking lights she could see something coming straight for her. Not needing much motivation, the girl ran the opposite direction, when the small creature jumped on her.

Phoebe screamed and fell in the process.

As she felt it crawl up her leg, Phoebe remembered her dagger and shouted, "Die, facehugger!" and aimed the point at the creature.

"Vanessa! what are you doing! It's me!" Mushu squealed for dear life, as he jumped out of the girl's reach.

Phoebe felt like crying in relief. "Oh my God, thank you!" The winged girl dropped the dagger and grabbed the dragon, pulling into a hug.

"You know, I could really kiss you right now," Phoebe sobbed, the girl could feel a single hot tear roll down her face.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa, I make it an effort not to kiss the girl who's butt I just saved. And come on, get up Nessie, your sister's worried about you. That little frog pressured me to come back for ya."

Phoebe gasped. "Drew's safe, where were they last?"

"I left 'em in the Egyptian scene. The Cast Member thought it best to evacuate any of the people who decided this ride was a little bit _too_ much."

The winged girl nodded, "Oh thank goodness. Wait-" Realization hit her. "They've seen too much! What if they spill the beans?!"

"Don't worry, Nessie, Ol' Brucey thought of somethin' and quieted 'em down. Saying they were part of a 'test audience' or whatever, no one seemed too shaken after that," Mushu shrugged.

"That's good... By the way my name's not 'Nessie-' it's Phoebe. Now come on, we got to meet up with Drew." The winged girl exclaimed, as she got up and rested the dragon onto her shoulder.

"If the ride started out this wonky- it's bound to get worse."

"Yeah, I hear ya..." Mushu sighed as he made himself comfortable on Phoebe's shoulder. He even plucked off one of her feathers, causing her to wince, and used it as a pillow.

"So where'd ya get the wings, honey? I considered you more of a butterfly kind of gal."

Phoebe rolled her eyes, and ignored the question. Her eyes darted around as the mist started to heavily increase out of a large black abyss in the ceiling. The winged girl speed walked past said whole and felt a weight lift off her shoulders; nothing happened.

"Just keep your eyes peeled for anything that's going to jump out okay? I already feel like someone's watching us."

The sound of something hissing at them caused both Mushu and Phoebe to squeal in fright, and the girl stopped in her tracks. The dagger in her hand became incredibly warm. Something was pulling her to that noise.

The dragon and the winged girl, shared a horrified look, and ever so slowly, Phoebe turned around and stared into the face of a creature, the likes of which she had never seen before.

The alien did not move, if anything he seemed to regard the pair, yet no eyes were present in his elongated head. The xenomorph was in the side of a wall, barely four feet from the duo, and its hands were and the torso up were visible from their vantage point. After a mere second it hissed at them again, and a smaller jaw erupted from its mouth, spraying liquids and some kind of goo.

Phoebe, in turn screamed as the goo hit her, and without thinking the girl aimed one of her hands at the animatronic and a shock of light flew from them, hitting the alien squarely in the chest.

The sparks of magic, intermingled with the wires of electricity, the strength of the magic surged throughout every electrical fissure in the ride that everything soon lost power.

The alien immediately stopped hissing, and his head fell since no power held it in place, and the entire ride became silent and dark, as all power in the entire ride sputtered out.

"You did it now, honey," Mushu criticized. Clearly he was remembering the earlier experience of nearly being stabbed.

"Just shut it, lizard," Phoebe retorted.

Removing her phone from her pocket, Phoebe used its flashlight and made her way to the alien animatronic.

Barely a arm's length away, the girl stopped, and tried to look for signs of life, but a sudden thought disturbed her.

"He was no threat at all... He wasn't alive..." the girl briefly breathed out.

"What'cha say Nessie?"

Phoebe half-heartedly laughed. "He was never going to attack us, Mushu, he doesn't even have a lower body. How could he attack us if he has nothing to make him move. No wonder the guy whose ever doing this wants animatronics that fully moved? I fried the electricity for nothing..."

Mushu frowned. "Then why can I see its tail from here?"

Phoebe's face scrunched up in confusion. "Mushu, stop joking, it's not funny. See-" The winged girl, defiantly moved even closer to the alien and shined at the bottom half of the wall that covered the other half of the animatronic.

But as a smile tugged on her lips, the look of amusement fell from her face, as she saw that Mushu was right, and right there in front of her, the animatronic had a lower body, complete with a six foot long tail, swishing back and forth.

"Sweet sugar honey iced-"

Phoebe's mouth started forming the worst cuss words imaginable as the animatronic moved its long head, and faced her as he hissed. Out of his mouth fell some kind of saliva, and with her phone flashlight, the girl could see every little detail of the animatronic which revealed that it was now very much alive.

The winged girl and the dragon both started whimpering, and slowly backed away. Phoebe was trembling in her shoes, and Mushu couldn't even come up with something snarky to say.

The sound of a dragon and a girl screaming were intermixed as the alien lunged.

* * *

One minute, Drew was talking in hushed tones with Bruce about Phoebe's mission, standing at the foot of the Anubis statue, and the next, the lights were gone.

"Okay, who insulted the lights?"

Using her phone as a flashlight, Drew couldn't help herself, but grumble her sister's name with as much hate and annoyance a sister could possibly muster.

"Your sister did all this?!" Bruce groaned. "Huh, seriously that fire at the Enchanted Tiki Room was nothing compared to this!"

Drew shrugged. "Among other things, but I'm going after her, maybe she is still alive. But if not, oh well, I just gained the entire inheritance."

"Well good luck, Miss Ride. Maybe Max is some kind of hero." Bruce exclaimed as he found the glowing exit sign, and right next to it, the Cast Members Only door.

He briefly opened the Cast Member door, but quickly shut it. "Miss Ride, RUN!"

"What?" Drew asked, she had barely even moved. "But I'm not done!"

"There's a fire! Whatever your sister did, it fried the wires so well, a fire is raging in the electrical department of the ride!"

"Can't you stop it?!"

"I don't know, just find your sister and get out of here before this fire spreads. I've handled a fire or two in my day!"

Drew nodded, and started sprinting out of the Egyptian scene. The sound of screaming echoed off the walls, causing the girl to stop.

 _"Phoebe!"_

Yet as she stopped to listen, she found another sound drifting all around her. Moving her flashlight around her, Drew felt her breath hitch in her throat at the skeletal figurines in Egyptian garb. She had almost forgotten that the electricity was out, but their eyes started glowing red.

The one nearest her suddenly moved, and Drew watched in horror, as the rest of them started moving towards her. Even a snake, which had only been a toy at first, now got out of a hole in the wall and slithered away.

Moans started collectively growing in volume and in strength, and very soon, Drew found herself in a terrible place to be.

A flurry of butterflies erupted in her stomach, as realization hit her. Whatever her sister had done, she had unwittingly made every single animatronic, regardless of them being alive in the first place, to not only be able to move on their own free will, but somehow made them literally be Alive.

Pascal, felt the fear radiating off Drew, and felt himself turn neon green- just like Drew's shirt.

The sound of her sister's screams, momentarily brought Drew out of her trance, and after giving a brief glance as the dead starting crawling towards her, ran to find Phoebe.

* * *

The sound of a phone could not be heard as its owner dropped it, the sounds of her screams and the screeching sound of the alien intermingled.

Phoebe ran blindly through the Alien scene, she didn't care if she didn't see, or if she could use her magic to make a light. All thoughts of logic had long been thrown out the window, and her sense of direction seemed to follow as well.

No longer caring if the mission got completed or not, Phoebe ran for dear life, her heart beat erratically in her chest, the only sound that she was now producing other than her loud footsteps. Her path twisted and turned as she tried to confuse the creature, but each time: either the monster would realize her trick, or a wall would stop her in her tracks.

Mushu tried his best to see in the darkness, using his dragon eyes to look for the slightest path, but the darkness proved too much for the little dragon.

Still running, Phoebe suddenly felt the large tail of the Alien hit her on her lower back, and the next thing she knew was that she was sailing through the air.

The next second, she felt a wall breaking underneath her as she hit it and broke through, landing in a sand pit.

The dagger slipped from her hand, and Phoebe felt pain erupt in her back. Putting a hand on the injured area, the winged girl felt a small cut, and blood started breaking through.

The girl started shaking, feeling powerless, she didn't think her mission would be this dangerous! How come all the heroes get rarely injured and still managed to get out alive!

Suddenly, she stiffened, as a noise was heard behind the wall. Still not making a sound, the xenomorph's head emerged from the hole in the wall.

Trapped in the corner of the room, Phoebe could barely make out the shape of the animatronic's head thanks to her eyes adjusting to the darkness.

Staying extremely still, Phoebe grabbed her plastic headband and with her magic made it soar far behind the creature's head.

The headband could be heard hitting metal, and this caught the attention of the alien, who ran after the source of the mysterious noise; leaving the girl a second to think.

"Mushu. Where are you?!" Phoebe whispered. When she had broken through the wall the dragon had flown off her shoulders.

Hearing no response from the dragon, Phoebe's hand started searching for the feeling of scales as she searched. Her hands touched the warm hilt of the dagger, it's touch was even warmer than before, and she lightly gripped it with her left hand, and her right hand continued the search for her friend.

"Oh, there you are," Phoebe sighed in relief, as she touched the thin little body. He must have been knocked out cold upon impact.

"Come on Mushu, wake up," she prodded the body.

Phoebe jerked back her hand as the body hissed. "Mushu what's wr-"

The room started filling with the sound of hissing, and Phoebe briefly felt something slither beside her, and then another, and another. The girl started realizing the situation she was in.

For the movie scene right next to the Alien scene was Indiana Jones. And in this particular scene was when Indiana was getting the Ark of the Covenant, while surrounded by thousands of deadly snakes.

The girl screamed as someone lit a torch and she light shone on thousands of asps. Standing up, Phoebe backed into the wall as one of the asps tried to bite her. Her screams started to multiply.

"You done did it now, Nessie," Mushu called out. He was on a high beam above the Ark, and he gripped a torch in his little hands.

"You light a torch now?!" Phoebe screamed as another asp tried to strike her. More asps started approaching her and the girl stepped on a fallen prop.

"I lit it so you can kill those snakes! Use that little blade you got!"

Phoebe shook her head. "I'm not Neville Longbottom, I can't kill snake, much less anything else! I've never even used a knife like this!"

Mushu inched closer, "Look honey, we got bigger problems!"

Two more animatronics appeared out of the shadow: Indiana Jones and Salaah.

Phoebe gripped the dagger, and fell off her prop as the Indiana Jones animatronic narrowly missed her with his whip.

One asp used this to his advantage and bared his fangs as he struck, but this time she was ready, and swiftly, Phoebe, swung the dagger, chopping the asp's head clean off. A steady stream of magic seeped out of the wound and no blood. Instead it fell lifeless once more and looked now a lot like plastic; it's original state.

Phoebe's eyes widened, at the sight, but quickly sprang into action, as Indy's whip hit barely just above her head.

"Nessie, we got to move!"

Needing no more encouragement, Phoebe, ducked again as Indy's whip swung once more at her, and she jumped to where Mushu was lying in safety, using her wings as an extra boost. Phoebe quickly grabbed the torch and Mushu crawled to his place on her shoulder.

"Ever flown?"

Mushu shook his head.

"Well, I'm still learning, too."

Her wings flexed around her and Phoebe jumped in unison and flew straight toward the ceiling.

The Indiana Jones animatronic yelled for them to stop and his aim was true as his whip wrapped around Phoebe's ankle. The winged girl, briefly felt her ankle jerk back, and something popped, releasing a gasp from Phoebe's mouth.

The girl continued to flap her wings to no avail, but because of her low weight, Indiana, easily started reeling her in like a fish caught on a hook.

Mushu scurried toward the whip around Phoebe's ankle and started unwrapping the whip, and soon Phoebe and the dragon sailed out of the animatronic's grasp, and flew farther down the hall.

The two suddenly hit something soft and large, and brought this thing down.

"Phoebe!" Drew screamed.

Phoebe's sister looked elated, and her shirt was covered in scratches and some kind of dirt. Her neon green shirt glowed in the darkness, and Pascal, in turn, was the same color.

"We need to run, Drew! Move! Indy and the Alien are coming!"

Phoebe roughly grabbed her sister's arm and started dragging her down the tomb-like setting, but she quickly stopped, her right ankle was throbbing from when the whip had nabbed her. She breathed out an 'ow,' but she unsuccessfully tried to hide her pain.

"Are, you okay?"

Phoebe shook it off. "I'm fine, just a strained muscle, never really exercised before. now come on let's keep moving."

"Phoebe, there's a fire that way!"

"What?! How?!"

"And a butt-load of walking corpses," Drew continued, ignoring Phoebe's questions. "I'm going to guess they're all your fault, so- yeah. We need to leave."

Phoebe felt like slapping her. "Ya think?!"

"Just letting you know, but we're going to die," Drew added, as the both of them got to their feet and started running.

"Really?! I thought everything was Hunky-dory and such! What else did I do, huh?!"

Drew led the way with her flashlight, and at the same time allowed Phoebe to put her arms around her shoulders so that she could walk more properly with her bad ankle.

But soon Drew didn't need one any longer as a large fire started greeted them. The giant Anubis statue that once sat, huge and invulnerable was now being eaten away by the flames; its jeweled scarab in the middle of its chest was dark, and melting.

Bruce was in the back, the fire extinguisher in his hand was empty, but still he tried to get every once out. He was coughing badly, and his clothes were covered in soot.

"Bruce, get out of here! Who knows when the building's gonna fall!" Phoebe shouted. She dared not approach, fearing that her ankle wouldn't comply.

Bruce nodded slightly. "There's still more people in the ride, and if this fire isn't contained, I'm afraid those people won't get out!"

Phoebe nodded. "We promise we'll get them out if you save yourself. Call the Disney authorities and lead 'em to the source, I'm sure they're already here!"

Bruce looked at the exit, and briefly sharing a glance with Phoebe, made his escape.

Phoebe removed herself from her sister and found two broken planks on the ground and cutting off a piece of her jeans wrapped it around her ankle, giving herself a makeshift splint. to the exit as well and moved one of the burning beams over the door.

"What are you doing?!" Drew questioned.

"We're probably going to run a lot more, and I want to be prepared, just in case."

Putting pressure on her twisted ankle, Phoebe was relieved that the pain was minimal. "Now come on, I have a feeling Indy is coming back with friends."

"What did you do now?!"

* * *

Elise briefly looked up from her tablet, her skeptical gaze took in the sunset, and the lazy tourists that were starting to tire out after a day of fun. After seventy-three rotations around the lake, Lauren and her had been unable to locate Drew.

Every time they would get a signal, they would quickly pass it once more, and start over.

But as Elise gazed at the sky, something was rather odd. "Lauren, do you see that smoke rising into the air? How dare this world pollute our beautiful atmosphere?"

Lauren rolled her eyes, Elise always seemed to worry about everything, but at the same time she would always fall into her own trap. "You're an industrialist, how many factories do you own?"

Elise humphed, but continued pestering Lauren. She pointed her navy blue parasol accented with white lace.

"Come now, even the guests can see that column of air pollutants!"

Lauren turned her gaze away from her steering wheel, and toward where Elise was pointing.

The skipper's breath caught in her throat in awe, and a wild smile started blossoming across her face.

"We found her!"

"I told you," Elise lamely retorted, and refused to make eye contact with her.

"Oh please, the last time you were complaining about something was because I accidentally spilled your perfume over your dress."

"I was saving it for when Prince Philip finally realizes his undying love towards me!" Elise pouted. "Now grab your things Lauren, I think it is time to disembark, I smell danger. And when danger is near- I will gladly hide behind you as you fight!"

Lauren sighed, as she brought her boat closer to the edge of the lake, and wrapped a piece of rope around a fence post that separated the lake from the guests.

"One day, I swear, you're going to fight, Elise. And when you do you are going to be a beast."

"If it means Philip will love me, then so be it."

* * *

The landscape soon changed around the two sisters as they emerged into the Tarzan scene. Everywhere around them, it was completely covered in green plastic vines and fake over hanging trees.

The dim light of Drew's phone, barely made out these shapes, and after running to this scene, Phoebe had decided to slow down and see if the elephant, chimp, and Tarzan were alive or not.

This had at first started out as an excellent idea, until the elephant had come stampeding towards them further, driving them into the Wizard of Oz scene. The paciderm could not follow them through the narrow gate and so chose to continue banging his head trying to make it through.

At least as they came to the Munchkin Village, they had found the last transport vehicle. The Cast Member host was trying to calm down the crowd, but it seemed, that many of the guests were ready to high-tail it out of the ride.

But like always there was something very wrong. For one thing, the Munchkins had the look of murder in their eyes and the Wicked Witch of the West was at its very head. The witch, looked the least alive, but she still managed to move around and talk, and she was especially taking her chance to stop the guests from leaving by blocking their exit with a Munchkin House.

"Mhm-mh-mmh," Mushu shook his head. "This ain't looking good."

"What part: the being chased part, or having a useless dragon?!" Phoebe sarcastically commented.

"Very funny."

The trio returned their attention to the Witch, and watched as she cast a spell, and set the house that was blocking the exit on fire. Several of the tourists screamed in fright, and all it did was make the Witch cackle even louder.

"Classic witches," Phoebe grumbled. "What does one even accomplish by setting things on fire?!"

"Causing a distraction probably," Drew shrugged.

Phoebe cocked her eyebrow in confusion. "What did you say?"

Drew rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, blocking the exit to the last scene of the ride- isn't that a _little_ _suspicious?_ Like these people are the bait?"

Phoebe's eyes widened as a new thought materialized. "Then that means-"

The loud trumpeting sound of an elephant exploded through everyone's eardrums, but that was nothing compared to the loud banging sound of the pachyderm bursting through the wall.

Phoebe and Drew ran from their hiding place, and moved out of the way as the elephant continued running, and burst through another wall!

A wall that lead to the outside of the ride!

The area outside was the side of the Great Movie Ride, and right behind the Sorcerer's Hat.

Phoebe started running after the elephant, but the people still in the vehicle, needed a way out as well, so the winged girl, along with Drew, managed to open the doors to the vehicle, letting all the people to evacuate.

As the last family ran through the hole in the wall, Drew shouted at Phoebe. "Stop Jumbo!"

Phoebe nodded and ran, slower than previously, out into the park.

Looking around at the park, Phoebe gasped, seeing the Great Movie Ride in flames, the elephant was running amok, trying to hit even more of the ride entrance. What was odd though, was that now that she was outside of the ride, there was no more screaming tourists, or even a decent fire truck, if anything it was a ghost town. The winged girl looked up at the sky and realized that it was night time!

"How long was I in there?"

Phoebe did not have time to ponder that question as several animatronics ran out of the Great Movie Ride, ranging from the murderous Munchkins, Indiana Jones, Mary Poppins, that guy from Singing in the Rain, and the Alien. Yet seeing the elephant running around blindly like a mad pachyderm, the girl set her sights on it.

Seeing that flight would be her greatest advantage, Phoebe took to the skies. Her ability of flight had been steadily increasing throughout the weeks of practice thanks to a mister Peter Pan. But even then spending all those weeks, did not lessen the immense annoyance she felt for him.

But he did teach her something very valuable: how to use flight to pester people.

Phoebe reached the top of the Sorcerer's hat, and looked at the ensuing chaos. The wicked witch was having the time of her life setting things on fire, and the little Munchkins had made a beeline for the escaped tourists, and Drew... She was being chased by Indiana and who were those two people? They weren't animatronics. At least she had never seen them in the ride before...

Phoebe was suddenly distracted as the elephant crashed against the base of the Sorcerer's hat structure she was hanging onto; causing her to hold on to the structure.

The dagger in her hands was becoming warm against her palm once more, just like when she was back in the snake pit.

Yen Sid's words of the dagger briefly drifted back to her, _"I've only been studying it for magical properties."_

What was it though? He was rather quick to change the subject, and now thinking back to the mobster animatronic wanting the dagger, could it really be an ordinary dagger? Even to Hades, when she had become Magic, he had seemed rather protective of it. And when she killed that snake- it had returned to plastic hadn't it?

Well only one way to find out now.

So Phoebe jumped off the hat, and spread her wings to catch her from having a rough impact. The elephant lifted his trunk at her and tried to strike her out of the sky, but Phoebe was not deterred, and with both hands on the blade, she plunged it straight into its back.

The elephant stood eerily still; and just like the snake before, the elephant fell to the ground- returning back to being plastic and metal.

Phoebe's heart was beating as realization hit her what she had just done, but she pushed it aside as she removed the dagger from the elephant's back.

The wheels in her head were quickly turning and a new theory started forming.

The blade got warmer before she used it. Hades was a previous owner. Everyone she used it on, fell dead.

Could this dagger kill with the slightest cut? Was this a dagger of death?

Whatever it was though, one thing was certain; the dagger could separate magic.

Drew ran from the Great Movie Ride as Indiana Jones aimed his whip at her.

She had been the immediate target of that particular animatronic- at least it was better than the Munchkins, and right now shaking him off was not pulling it.

Phoebe's sister wished that she had some kind of special ability, a weapon. All she had right now was a chameleon and two feet. Her resourcefulness was nothing compared to Phoebe, but man, did she need it!

"Hello!"

A wild voice stopped Drew in her tracks.

For right in front of her stood two figures she immediately regretted meeting.

Lauren Hancock had her pistols drawn, and was now firing a barrage of bullets at Indiana Jones, but either she was a bad shot, or the bullets were bouncing off the frame of the animatronic; it seemed to be the latter.

Elise stood right behind her, she had a very passive face, but seemed more interested in the fire.

"See, Laur? I told you she caused the fire!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah-" Lauren called back. She had ran forward and drawn her scimitar and katana, as she defended Drew from Indiana.

The animatronic swung out his whip, and ripped the katana out of her right hand.

Lauren's face contorted into rage, "Oh, so that's how you want to play, you little piece of-"

The girl once again prepared for the whip to come at her left hand, and right when the leather wrapped around her hand, her empty hand immediately whipped out a knife and cut the whip in one fluid swipe.

Indiana froze, and using the animatronic's hesitation against him, Lauren fingered her knife once more, and she lunged for him. She drove the blade into his face, and brought her scimitar deep through his chest, and the animatronic fell to the cement with a loud crash of metal, and for a final measure, she removed her scimitar and decapitated the fallen animatronic.

"I win," Lauren maniacally giggled.

Elise politely clapped. "I must say, your skill with that little blade has increased, what do you think passenger?" The sophisticated girl had turned to a speechless Drew.

"How- how'd you find me?!"

Elise waved it off. "Oh come now, surely you would have discovered the tracker we placed on you."

 _"You what?!"_ Drew screamed.

Lauren laughed. "We have a friend from Tomorrowland who gives us all of all those funny glowy-metal things." She replied, thinking Drew had meant where she had gotten them.

"Yes, yes, " Elise rolled her eyes. "We all know who you're talking about, really though, I could've made these, but Lauren didn't appreciate _my_ version of the trackers."

Drew did not need to find said tracker as Pascal had crawled down her back and found it, and he quickly showed it to his friend.

"Bread crumbs don't work, Elise."

"But still-"

 _"Phoebe!"_ Drew screamed, as the duo approached even closer.

"Ah, yes, who is this Phoebe anyway- and what is her obsession with feathers?"

"Um, Lis- Look up for once," Lauren called out as she pointed at something that dived through the air.

The two watched in as an avenging angel, with a dagger locked between her hands, brought a blade down into an elephant's back.

"Oh." Elise breathed out. "So the feather... was her's? Is she an avian sentient being, bent on protecting mankind?"

Everyone stared at her. "Or angel, whatever works for you."

Lauren rolled her eyes, and carefully examined the Indiana Jones animatronic. "Elise, get the book, I think we found our newest member."

Drew slowly started backing away. _Okay so these girls are crazy._

"Where are you going?" Elise inquired, now noticing the fear cross Drew's face. "We have Munchkins to defeat, and a book for you and your companion to sign."

"Phoebe!" Drew screamed again; said girl's gaze turned to her sister, and now fully saw her being cornered.

The winged girl, did not hesitate and jumped into the air and landed in front of her sister, and tried to hide her sister with her large wings.

"Who the heck are you guys?!"

Lauren smirked and Elise squealed with delight.

"Finally a group of six!"

Lauren scoffed, "Seven, Lis- Inigo, is a member as well."

Drew and Phoebe shared confused glances.

"Drew... If we survive this... I'm going to kill you."

"Not if they beat you," Drew reminded her.

"Um, 'scuse me, Drew," Mushu piped up. "There is gonna be a lot more things that want to kill you. So can you do something before everything goes wrong!?"

Drew and Phoebe briefly shook their heads and simultaneously said, "That's true."

"So," Elise stretched the book out to her, it was open with a quill lying on an empty page. "Do you wish to bind your soul to us today? Oh- I'm sorry... Phoebe is it?"

Phoebe briefly nodded, "Uh-huh." The dagger in her hands felt cold; their time to die was not yet, but God, she wished it was.

"If I say no?"

"Lauren, will not offer her assistance tonight."

Suddenly a burst of red smoke appeared right beside the group of girls.

"Drew, run!"

The wicked witch stepped out of the smoke, her small black eyes glittered with malice, and in her hand she held her infamous broomstick.

Phoebe looked over her shoulder and watched the army of munchkins running for the exit, and the Sorcerer's Hat's structure was heavily dented- thanks to the elephant and the Alien who now started hitting the structure repeatedly with its tail.

"Give me that!" Phoebe huffed, and quickly signed her full name, and handed it back to the sophisticated girl.

"Now help me!"

"Oh, Phoebe isn't your first name? How interesting," Elise mused. "Oh, Lauren you can go play nice now."

"Finally," the Jungle Cruise skipper exclaimed rather dramatically, and grabbing her fallen katana raced after the Munchkins.

Elise, though in all her wisdom, skipped away to watch the ensuing fight, Drew, on the other hand, had run to get help.

Phoebe gulped, as the Wicked Witch turned to her.

"Why, hello my pretty, have you happened upon my sister's ruby slippers?"

"Nope, just trying to live..."

"Are you sure? I sense powerful Magic in you, yet you choose not to use it- why?"

"Look, I would greatly appreciate it if you returned to your place in the ride, or better yet- let me punch you in the face- with my fancy shmancy dagger!"

Phoebe lunged and swiped the blade at the witch, but she quickly dodged it.

"So playing dirty- hmm? Fine let's do it in the skies!"

The witch jumped onto her broomstick and took off, shooting bolts of fire back at Phoebe.

The winged girl took to the skies, and for a moment she felt at peace, but once more a fireball shot back at her. Phoebe dived, barely missing it, but once more, she rose back to her original level.

Phoebe groaned. "Why is it always fire? Everyone discriminates water..."

Mushu hugged her neck tightly, he was starting to hate the skies- there was a reason he couldn't fly, and experiencing it now, he really wished to be back on terra firma.

Suddenly, the witch made a sharp U-turn, trying to surprise Phoebe, the girl stopped in midair, and switched directions- now the witch gave chase, instead of the other way around.

Elise watched from the ground, her gaze never leaving Phoebe, as she watched the girl dance in the air. The way the girl flew it was like watching a figure skater on the ice rink, all her movements graceful, and made with a purpose. The times she dived, or backtracked, or even stopped, added to her own unique dance, and the fireballs being shot at her were merely enhancements to the spectacle.

Wanting to watch the full fight, Elise got up and followed Phoebe and the witch as they flew around the Parks. As she found a nice bench in a very shady area she suddenly exclaimed. "Such a nice night to watch a good fight, hmm?"

When she received no response, since the park was deserted, Elise laughed. "Oh, come now, I can see you."

Elise turned her head, and patted the empty seat behind her. "Come on, don't be afraid, I've been seeing your people for all of my life."

Someone appeared sitting beside her, dressed all in black, with an interesting white mask that covered his entire face, in his hands he held a peculiar looking helmet.

"So, you see invisible people?" The figure asked.

"No," Elise shook her head. "I see ghosts, I don't quite remember being able to see those who are invisible to the human eye."

"Ah, a psychic, I haven't seen one in a while. Last time I saw one was my old friend, but she too died. So many psychics die young."

"Aye, seems a tragedy, but I have hidden my gifts well from my grandfather. Silly old fool really, he doesn't even know what I do anymore- doesn't even know I got fired from my job two months ago."

The figure nodded his head. "My dad didn't even know I existed until like four months ago."

"I hate godly parents," Elise muttered. "My mother never appeared at any of my birthday parties."

"Yeah," Anthony muttered. "Godly-Wait a sec' I never told you anything about that... Oi, you really are psychic aren't you?"

Elise nodded. "Oh yes, from birth it seems... So what brings you to this glorious night? Have you too come to sell your soul to our group?"

Anthony laughed, "You know I'm the one who should be asking that question! I'd love to but I already signed my soul away, so loved to, but can't."

"That's a shame, our group would have loved teaming up with Death himself."

The masked boy laughed. "Funny, you don't hear that every day."

Elise gasped. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I am, I'm Death."

"Oh forgot... Wait duck!" Elise shouted as a lose fireball made its way to their bench.

Anthony didn't seem to flinch and put up his hand catching the ball of fire with his bare hands.

"Neat," Elise praised. "Well, I better keep moving along, I want to make sure Lauren has finished taking care of those brightly colored little dwarves. See you around Mister Death."

"Bye, strange Gatsby girl, a piece of advice though, don't talk to Death like an old friend, in the end it won't end well."

"Oh pish posh, don't be afraid to make friends- it's not your fault they keep dying on you."

"But, I'm Death..."

"Oh... Well tootles!" Elise called and watched as more fireballs rained down on the earth.

The misdirected fireballs though, seemed to fall everywhere and a couple happened to hit the Sorcerer's hat and for a second, Elise wondered if the statue would catch on fire.

For a second, Elise jaws dropped as the winged girl released a stream of blue light from her hands.

Her eyes, even from the ground, Elise could see them turn purple, and the beam she had released turned purple as well- as it soared toward the end of the witch's broomstick.

Phoebe gasped as she gained control of her body and dived as she watched the witch fall to the ground, her scream echoed throughout the night sky, and all it did was cause horror in Phoebe's heart.

"No!" She screamed as she tried to catch the witch, but she moved away as the witch shot one last fireball at her.

The animatronic fell to the ground with a crash, and Phoebe roughly landed next to her and knelt by the carcass. The dagger became hot against Phoebe's hand, as the witch raised a shaky hand at her, its fingertips released sparks like flame.

Phoebe lightly cut the witch's outstretched hand- and with it fully ended any signs of life.

The girl steadily rose to her feet and brushed off a bunch of ash that had collected on her wings. she was physically and mentally exhausted, not once had she ever done something that required massive amounts of running and Magic, and the desire to go to the nearest bench and sit down was starting to slow her down, but she knew that this fight wasn't over just yet.

As she turned around to see what else remained, she did not have time to think about as the last living animatronic jumped in front of her: the Alien.

"Frick, forgot about you..." she sighed. She weakly lifted up her dagger and stepped into a defensive stance. "Alright, I'm so freaking tired, so either you kill me fast or I do the same..."

The creature paced in front of her, it was taunting her. He, unlike the rest of the animatronic's had waited patiently to have his turn, just so he could learn the girl's weaknesses, and allow herself to tire out.

Phoebe felt the gaze of the monster upon her, despite its absence of eyes, she knew though she was in the presence of a truly formidable opponent- and with her only skills being in Magic, she didn't know how to fight this thing, or really anything.

For starters he was faster, stronger, and way more agile than her, but then again if Donald Duck had done it with a sword, so could she!

Hopefully.

In a rush of energy, Phoebe stormed forward, hoping to catch the creature off guard. She attempted to slice the creature's body, with swift motions, but each time he pulled away at the last second- making her more frustrated and it kept throwing her off balance as she sliced at air.

The monster almost seemed to laugh at her incompetence, and roughly spun around, making his tail trip her.

Phoebe fell as the tail crashed into her ankles, the dagger was thrown out of her hand and was sent sailing ten feet from where she lay. She barely had time to register any pain as the Alien pointed his tail at her and struck, but Phoebe rolled away just in time.

Using her wings as a weapon she angrily swished out her right wing at the creature's own foot. All he did though was tirelessly move his leg out of the way, but this action made him hesitate for a second allowing for Phoebe to get up and run.

Phoebe ran for the dagger, if anything it was the only way she could win this fight, since Magic was starting to get very out of hand.

 _What was it with this ride that made Vanessa so hard to control?_

Still running, Phoebe bent down to pick the blade up when suddenly, the Alien rushed her from her blind spot and once again hit her with his tail across her stomach.

Phoebe felt her breath being knocked out as the segmented tail dug into her gut, and the force of the impact made her sail through the air, hitting a bunch of wires and lights.

The winged girl was starting to regret having wings, all they did was make her fifty pounds lighter, and thus more easier to push around hence her landing on the stage of the Sorcerer's hat.

Phoebe was slightly dazed as she started to come to, thanks to Mushu lightly slapping the sides of her face.

"Come on Phoebe, we got to get up. That crazy bug is coming back!"

Phoebe sat straight up, she briefly gazed around her realizing that she was on the catwalk of the stage in front of the Sorcerer's hat.

"Bugs! That's it! Mushu, what do bugs hate?"

"Bug repellent?" Mushu inquired as he watched Phoebe flit around the catwalk, grabbing lights and any wires that she could find.

"You're from classical China, how do you even know about bug repellent?"

"Us, Chinese, are pretty smart you know."

"You're a dragon."

"A Chinese one."

"Touché."

"But I don't think you got any sesame seed oil with you!"

Phoebe laughed, "Mushu, smoke!" She had started collecting more wires and then finding a small hole in one of the plastic coverings of the wires she started peeling it off. Once the entire wire was free of its covering Phoebe grabbed one of the stage lights and smashed it against the metal catwalk.

"What are you doing?!"

"Science!"

Grabbing another light, she slammed the light into the metal floor, and soon the glass that covered the light bulb inside, was opened. Reaching down, Phoebe quickly removed the light bulbs inside, but she was careful to not touch the surface with her skin; thank goodness for her flight gloves!

"Phoebe, what are you doing!"

Phoebe huffed as she tied the wire around her waist, and stuffed the light bulbs in her makeshift belt. "Look, stage lights have a very interesting chemical structure- for one thing they are the brightest sources of light around, but how you say? This is because the lights are halogen lights, they all contain elements from group seven on the periodic table meaning that they are extremely reactive, and the most notable elements used in these lights are iodine and bromine.

"In Chinese please?"

"I'm going to pelt the Alien with makeshift bombs."

"Bombs?!"

"Where the heck did you learn this?"

Phoebe sighed. "I'm a nerd okay! My dream is to be a medical doctor, and apparently you need a degree in chemistry to be one, so I've taken a couple free chemistry courses in the past three years to help build up my activities when colleges choose to accept me, since my parents don't make enough to send me to college."

"Pfft, I was wondering why you were a terrible runner."

Phoebe briefly looked up from her work. "You know you're part of the equation too, right?"

Mushu rolled his eyes, "Fine ya nerd, but he's climbing up the metal supports!"

"What!?" Phoebe screamed. "This thing isn't read-"

Suddenly the catwalk beneath her feet, heavily inclined. Phoebe grabbed onto the railing to stop herself from falling off, she looked to her right, and there the animatronic had successfully cut two of the metal poles that connected the catwalk to the ceiling!

"What are you waiting for!" Mushu cried, as he squeezed her neck. "Throw your little light bulbs!"

Phoebe grabbed one of the light bulbs, but soon the alien jumped onto the inclined catwalk, making the floor underneath Phoebe shake underneath her.

"I can't make the shot!"

"Use your magic!"

Phoebe gulped. "I can't! Vanessa, God, that witch, she's trying to possess me, I don't want to risk it!"

The winged girl, knew that there was not use with staying here on the catwalk so Phoebe flew off the catwalk and onto the roof of the outside stage, but very soon the alien started tearing the roof and popped from underneath her!

Phoebe immediately felt her wings spread out and her legs jump onto the Sorcerer's Hat, as the alien barely hit her.

But she overestimated her landing and hit the structure hard. Phoebe shook the bright light coming into her vision away as she stood atop a golden star that decorated the Hat. Yet on closer inspection, one side of the hat was covered in small holes, and around the holes were signs of melted metal.

 _The wicked witch's fireballs_ , Phoebe guessed were what caused them, _but wait a second. The hat is hollow and dark, probably a closed space too... Hmm.. this could work._

Phoebe didn't need further encouragement to move as the Alien jumped onto the hat as well.

"I don't get it, how can that thing be as swift as a coursing river, has all the strength of a raging fire, and still be mysterious as the dark side of the moon!" Mushu squealed.

"Shut up, and let me take care of it!" Phoebe exclaimed and plunged herself into the Sorcerer's Hat.

Darkness soon overtook all of her senses, and Phoebe knew that flying here would be a bad decision, so she moved around the structure, using her hands as her guide.

The structure kind of had a staircase-like feel around the outside, but in the center it was merely a drop off. The girl had entered near the bottom of the hat, So, Phoebe mostly crept along the edges, finding random footholds here and there, but every nine paces she would stop and place a light bulb in the foothold and proceed on.

She committed herself to this system, conscious that the Alien was prowling nearby. His presence was first made known when he jumped through the same hole she had, but he had overestimated the jump falling to the center, since then Phoebe had started moving up, staying as silent as possible.

But after one whole minute was when Phoebe felt the alien barely four feet below her. She stopped as she fingered her makeshift belt, feeling the last two halogen light bulbs. Terror started gripping her as she carefully rubbed one of the light bulbs across her cheek, allowing the bulb to soak up the oils in her face; this added to the chemical reaction once she lit the bulbs.

Phoebe groped around searching for Mushu, and she lightly grabbed his body and allowed him to circle her left hand.

"Ready?"

"For what?"

Phoebe didn't answer as she squeezed him like a ball of putty, and immediately a burst of flames erupted out of his mouth. As the flames left his mouth, the girl placed the bulb in front of them and quickly threw it, as she didn't expect the flames to intensify so much. The flames created easily flames so hot and high that Phoebe could fully see the entirety of the interior of the hat.

"Mushu light all the other bulbs on fire!" Phoebe commanded and threw him at the farthest one at the ground level.

The red dragon landed with ease and started searching for the light bulbs.

Soon he lit one of the bulbs and a small explosion rocked the hat, and a fire soon followed, Mushu, continued this process until he could no longer needed to light more fire as the flames reached the remaining bulbs creating even more explosions.

"Uh-oh."

The alien hissed at the fire, but with visibility now back in, he could now see where Phoebe was hiding, and he started climbing after her.

Phoebe climbed higher until she was at the very tip, the alien was never far behind, and he seemed to be enjoying the chase, but the rising heat and the flames that were slowly starting to melt the interior of the structure, and the winged girl started feeling worse as the flames were chasing out all the oxygen.

The girl leaned against one of the metal bars, and didn't even bother caring if the Alien was now right in front of her.

Phoebe didn't so much as move as the alien grabbed her around her throat and lifted her up. Very soon the flames were now at their level, and the winged girl groped for the last bulb in her makeshift belt, and cracked it against the alien's head, adding a little burst of magic.

"Boom," Phoebe replied weakly, and soon she was hurtling through the air as what was left of the Sorcerer's hat exploded.

Phoebe felt herself sailing through the air, but didn't care, as she had a coughing fit, finally being able to breathe.

The girl didn't care either that she was probably going to die, with how fast she was going as the earth neared ever closer, but it didn't help that her vision was still completely awful.

She didn't even feel someone catch her before she hit the ground.

"I gotcha, Phebes."

Anthony had rushed forward as soon as she came through the air to catch her. His arms wrapped around her small frame, and saw how much soot she was covered in, and she was unusually still. He gently touched her neck, checking for a pulse and once satisfied, he set her down on a nearby bench. Soon Phoebe started having a coughing fit, and the boy started backing away before she could see him.

Anthony felt like saying good-bye, but decided now was not the time, and putting on his father's helmet, he disappeared.

Phoebe's vision came back and silently wondered how she got on the bench. Her vision had started returning and gasped as she saw a fire raging what was left of the Sorcerer's hat.

Phoebe weakly stood up, and the blood rushed to her head, and she quickly sat back down.

"Mushu! You stupid lizard, please be alive! Please..." She cried.

"You okay, sweetie?"

The pirate chick was covered head to toe in black, all the weapons clad around her and that wild look on her face, only made her look all the more menacing.

Seeing that she wasn't getting an answer, Lauren kicked a familiar looking dagger toward her. "Take it, you'll be needing it one day."

Phoebe quickly grabbed it, thinking that that pirate chick was coming to fight her, but instead she helplessly watched as a jungle cruise boat flew through the air, and a rope ladder came out of the boat. Lauren started climbing it and gave Phoebe a mocking wink.

"See you soon!"

Elise was waving at her, as she commandeered the boat, and she shouted, "It was a blustery day in the hundred acre woods!"

And just like that the two strangest girls Phoebe had ever seen disappeared into the night sky.

Phoebe did not have long to ponder the turn of events of the night as someone called her name.

Turning around the winged girl saw Drew sprinting toward her, she was holding two Mickey Mouse ice cream bars and Mushu and Pascal were on her shoulders.

"Hey," she said.

"Where the heck was the backup I told you to get!" Phoebe shouted. She felt like yelling at her more, but seeing Mushu alive made Phoebe's heart leap for joy. Maybe tonight wasn't a total failure.

Drew shrugged. "Well I was, but then I saw an ice cream cart wide open, and I decided getting ice cream was probably the best thing I could do. After all who doesn't want celebrate the fact that we didn't die? huh?"

Phoebe weakly smiled. "Destroyed everything sure, but die we did not. Give me that ice cream then."

Her sister handed her an ice cream bar and started munching into the delicious chocolate covered vanilla ice cream.

"You know I really liked what you did with the Sorcerer's Hat." Drew commented.

"Pfft," Phoebe rolled her eyes. "After what I did to that, they're probably going to get rid of it."

The two sisters stared at each other and simultaneously exclaimed, "Nah," and continued munching on their ice cream.

As Phoebe licked the last bit of ice cream, she looked at the destroyed area.

"Well, looks like we both broke every rule I could've."

"Well," at least no one died."

"Except all the animatronics."

Drew nodded. "That's true."

"Also what did I tell you about talking to strangers," Phoebe asked referring to Lauren and Elise.

"Don't talk to strangers..."

"And what did you do?"

"Talk to strangers." Drew exclaimed slowly, and quickly changed the subject. "So, can I guess that this animatronic problem is only going to get worse?"

Phoebe sighed, "Yeah..."

"Yeah."

* * *

 **A/N: Yes I took some artistic license on the great movie ride scene, I don't actually know if the Tarzan scene was near the front of the ride, and for anyone wondering on the chemistry of stage lights, I love chemistry and well I decided it would be a great addition to Phoebe's personality.**

 **Special shout out to the people who made this chapter possible! Thanks frenchy, flying pig, and Gomez Addams!**

 **Also I'm taking a small vacation to Disney world next week, so I won't be updating for like three weeks, but who knows.**

 **Next chapter will revolve on Phoebe's life back in the real world, and will be dedicated to Godwriting, who gave me a wonderful idea.**

 **So as always fave and review!**

 **Angel of H-d out!**


	11. Hades Discovers High School

**Hades Discovers High School**

* * *

 **Dedication: Thank you Godwriting for inspiring me to write this chapter, it was certainly fun to write.**

* * *

 _"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life" - Winston Churchill_

* * *

Phoebe felt very uncomfortable.

Strike that, that was too kind of a word.

She felt embarrassed.

Why?

Oh, that's simple really. Well for starters, she was in the Council of Magic Room, and no, there wasn't a meeting going on, but there was a special trial going on that only a select few of Mickey's own personal members of the council were invited to; which meant no villains.

What special trial you ask?

Well it was about Phoebe's actions at the 'Sorcerer's Hat incidence,' as the whole of the Parks had been calling it. Ever since yesterday, the famous icon had been blown up by your friendly neighborhood Magic, everyone in the realms had been talking about it, and so came up the issue whether the fifteen year old was suitable to be leading the council of Magic, or better yet, was it safe to allow her access to the realms?

That's why Mickey had organized his closest magicians, fairies, and magic-wielders to deliberate whether Phoebe's actions were done with no choice, or just an after effect of her recklessness.

Phoebe stood below them now, as she watched them bicker. Her wings were resting on her back, their pearly white hue had previously been dark grey- thanks to nearly suffocating in the fiery death trap of the Sorcerer's Hat, but the girl managed to scrub all the soot and ash out; returning them to their original color.

Yet she still had visible scars from the incident, from her bruised stomach, and she needed stitches on her lower back after the alien animatronic had cut her there. Her leg was fine- it now simply had a little whiplash, her lungs, though, had made the best recovery, it might've been the fact that she didn't inhale as much smoke as she thought, but still her energy had depleted, both physically and mentally.

If it wasn't for the Blue Fairy, though, she might've been much worse, and she somehow healed some of the scars in her mind, and since then had been able to sleep much easier, but still remained the terror of what her trial would lead.

"Phoebe," Yen Sid's sharp tone cut through the girl's thoughts.

"Did I not warn you to control your use of magic? The greatest magic-wielders are the ones who don't use their gifts willy-nilly. The fact that you were able to bring every animatronic to life- taking the job of that trashcan plaguing the Parks, was incredibly idiotic! You have made yourself a perfect example of why we should never have let you under take this task. If you don't learn control, how are you going to gain the respect as the newest incarnation of Magic!"

The girl looked up into the steely gaze of her master, and nearly flinched as she felt every gaze of all present; from the Blue Fairy, Fairy Godmother, Mama Odie, Merlin, the three fairies, but Fauna didn't stand with her usual trio and stood quite close to Merlin, and lastly the Enchantress.

She was not one for being ostracized and the slightest embarrassment always made her uncomfortable- it was after all a mild side effect from her agoraphobia.

"Now child," Yen Sid repeated. "What say you of your crimes?"

"Um.. Can you repeat them please?"

Mickey and the all of the magicians groaned as one.

The Enchantress stood up and opened a long scroll that was not in her hands previously. Her eyes glowed a bright pink, and Phoebe wondered if the lady could even see with her eyes always glowing, her pupils never were visible, but at least she always let her blonde hair cover them slightly. The lady was truly beautiful and quite tall, and unlike the others in attendance she had more of a commanding presence; the only adornment she wore was a beautiful gold circlet that she wore across her forehead, where an emerald and a topaz intertwined with one another, as if in a constant battle for dominance.

If Phoebe didn't know any better, she would have mistaken her for a goddess of sorts.

Her voice was commanding too, but even then it was still honey sweet.

"Among her crimes are: destroying an iconic statue, and iconic ride, and its many animatronics, among them: the alien, Indiana Jones, an elephant, the Wicked Witch of the West, and nearly all of the Munchkins- which may I add were mutilated beyond repair."

Phoebe held her hand up. "I did not destroy the Munchkins nor the Indiana Jones; two girls my sister had previously encountered showed up and destroyed them, and they later ran away in a flying Jungle Cruise boat."

Mama Odie burst out laughing. "I know exactly who you talkin' 'bout! That Lauren, girl, hmm? She one of the best skippers I know."

Merlin nodded. "But she is also a notorious smuggler for participation in the illegal black market."

"Was!" Mama Odie retorted. "Ol' Trader Sam got a warrant for her 'ead- _shrunken!_ Ever since the great dishonor she gave him by tryin' to take o'er the business."

"Don't forget though," Mickey reminded. "That other girl, she worked at a shop on Main Street, and she made an enemy of Cruella de Vil after what happened in the store.

"What did happen?" Phoebe questioned.

"Another time," the Magic Mirror boomed, he had remained silent for the entirety of the trial, and rested above them in the mirror ceiling.

He was placed there many years ago, after Mickey decided that the House of Mouse was not a worthy enough place for him. The Mirror despite being the ceiling, like watching the various magic-wielders, and he served as some use to them, but in truth, he was still a person and wanted to be a part of the Council as well. He yearned to walk among them, but he knew that ever since the Queen breathed life into him, that the only way he could exist was living in a mirror.

"Now," Fairy Godmother spoke up. "Do you feel like your actions were justified trying to protect the your sister and your own life?"

Phoebe nodded. "Of course! I didn't act on impulse- sure the exploding hat was not a part of the plan, but it's not like I could use my magic. It's been spazzing out ever since the incident, but Mushu was there and so was Pascal- I had to protect them too!"

The girl took a slow sigh as she tried to calm her nerves down.

"Look, everything did go wrong- I will not excuse my actions, but I've never handled something like this before. Vanessa is messing with my mind, and trying to make sure she doesn't take over is hard. It's like she's tied to my emotions- especially anger, she loves that one."

Fairy Godmother lightly placed her wand on her lower lip, deep in thought.

"Vanessa was not a villain- according to legends she was a kind soul, who helped other and bestowed upon them gifts ranging from all sorts of powers and even-"

Phoebe snapped, "Then there's two Vanessa's running around, cuz the one who I'm currently sharing a body with is trying to _kill me_."

"Now Phoebe," Yen Sid reprimanded. "It was you who agreed to be Magic, and you have to understand that all magic comes with a price, Vanessa's spirit cohabiting your mind is just a part of that price, and who knows maybe one day she'll pass on- she is after all a kind of ghost, and her unfinished business still remains... Whatever it may be."

Phoebe grumbled. "What did the Villains say when they heard about what I did?"

"Ah, yes," Merlin fixed his spectacles and cleared his throat. "Maleficent is looking for your immediate resignation, Hades sent you a thank you scroll for the wonderful display of destruction, and Jafar wants to schedule a lesson with you, he seems quite interested on the limits of your powers."

Phoebe remained silent and turned to the sound of the Blue Fairy's voice.

"But still comes the issue of what to do with you, Phoebe. Child, only recently, the cast members said many of the guests have seen some of the dolls move around, and the same goes for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Your services are still required in the Parks since you can travel throughout them and converse with the tourists, but you are going to have to step down until everything calms down."

"And perhaps it is better until the news of what has happened to die down, and perhaps people's opinion on you will change. And hopefully you can practice self-control, Phoebe."

Everyone nodded at the Blue Fairy's ruling. No one ever seemed to question her, not even Phoebe, but the girl realized this should have been something they should've taken from the very beginning.

Maybe it was better this way, Phoebe decided. Maybe while someone else covered being the Council leader she could focus on school more and not find the talking trashcan and the keys to the Magic Kingdom. Let someone else with more experience take the job.

Yet more importantly she could have more time to bring up her grades and with semester exams starting tomorrow, she would certainly need the extra time.

Yes, this was much better than traversing on a stupid quest.

* * *

It was safe to say Phoebe spent the rest of her day sleeping. She was dog-tired, and what little sleep she had been getting the weeks previous were plagued by nightmares and talking to her counterpart: Vanessa.

The lady was like a psychopath with her constant wailing and the weird back stories she gave about making something or the other, or how everyone adored her back when she 'ruled' the world.

Course, Phoebe didn't know who to believe anymore on whether she was a great person or not from the books she found about her from Belle's Library, describing her as the perfect mother earth, but for some strange reason she acted like an annoying murderous little b... But you understand.

Still, she really knew how to annoy a person while taking a test.

"Phoebe... The answer is C- I never created evolution when I created this earth."

"But Vanessa, evolution does exist in this world," Phoebe argued.

"Does it? Does it really? Then why are there still monkeys?"

"Because Charles Darwin said so, and my Biology teacher- so that's good enough for me." Phoebe replied circling the letter A.

"I don't even know why you asked for my help."

"I didn't."

Phoebe could see Vanessa brooding somewhere in her mind, she wanted action, and she was easily bored with menial school life, but at least while she was trying to steam off, Phoebe could concentrate on her test.

Sometimes she wondered why she decided to even become Magic, sure she saved the other kid's lives- once; but still, one of them had recently broken off their friendship in a very cruel way: Kaitlyn.

After Phoebe had returned to school with her powers pulsing inside of her, she had immediately gone to her old friend. Yet even when she did, all she got out of the conversation was hearing her Kaitlyn's voice, not even giving her a chance to talk- except to nod her head and say simple comments like yes or mhhm.

Yet even before Kaitlyn broke all relations with Phoebe, in middle school, that was their entire relationship.

Kaitlyn used Phoebe's trusting nature against her and instead of the mutuality symbiosis that friendship offered- it was only for Kaitlyn's benefit. Any time that Phoebe just wanted to talk to the girl, Kaitlyn would quickly come up with a story that reminded her of their conversation and talk instead.

Maybe that was why Phoebe bottled up her emotions, perhaps she was afraid of meeting another person who would mooch off her kindness, her sincerity, and in the end, it left Phoebe terrified enough to break every friendship she had with her remaining peers.

Drew did not count, that girl was her best friend, and despite having sarcasm and adorable little sassiness or terrible logic- she still made up for it by listening to her sister and not ignoring her. Even thinking about her now made Phoebe smile, and she soon forgot about her problems with making friends.

Nearing the last question, Phoebe found butterflies in her stomach. "I can do this."

"Phoebe!" Her biology teacher screamed.

The winged girl let loose a scream as something slithered across her neck.

Quickly, her teacher grabbed the snake that was slithering across the girl.

Phoebe was still shaking as her Biology teacher held up the culprit.

"Sorry Miss. Graham, I forgot to lock his cage again."

Her teacher was in her early sixties, and the white haired lady had a great fondness for all animals, which meant that her entire classroom was alive with the sounds of various animals from chicks to crickets to bunnies, and yes, a few snakes.

"It's Palomera," Phoebe remarked bluntly.

Yet still, she had a terrible memory, this explained why many of the cages were in need of being cleaned and why she still called her a different name each time.

"Oh, I'm sorry Miss Pedraza."

"Never mind- I'm done with my test."

The girl handed over her test and scantron, and waited patiently for Mrs. Philips to take them away.

Phoebe continued sitting at her desk as she watched the clock tick away, and absentmindedly she started tapping her fingers along to a song stuck in her head.

 _"I know you, I walked with you-"_

* * *

"-Once upon a dream." Anthony hummed along in his sleep. Slowly he started stirring in his bed, and groggily he lifted his head up from his pillow.

Anthony with half-closed eyes started stretching as he continued singing, "But if I know you- AH!"

"I don't think that's the next verse, Antonius."

Anthony scowled at Hades. "Dad, trying to wake up in peace- gods."

Hades jokingly rolled his eyes. "Antonius, you know you've been asleep for three days right?"

The boy yawned. "I could've slept longer."

"How long do mortals usually sleep anyway?"

Anthony shrugged, "Depends on how addicted to ones phone they are- but usually eight hours."

"Uh-huh... So should I be worried as a concerned father-figure?"

Anthony shrugged as he got out of bed and proceeded to the adjacent bathroom. "Probably not."

"Alright, great... _So_ -" The god drawled. His eyes shifted around the messy, but organized room. "Want to come to work with me?"

From the bathroom, Anthony shouted. "Not today dad!"

The boy paused as he briefly took a swig of water and spat it back out.

"I gots to go to a session with Leota today- something about the Dreamscape. Then I'm gonna go mess with Pixar today, the BML, or is it BNL yet... well they worship the ground I walk upon for some reason... Maybe helping them out that one time with the will o' the wisps wasn't such a bad idea."

Hades groaned. "Have you even _considered_ signing your name yet?"

Anthony laughed as he started to brush his teeth. "Course I have, and I've found some interesting things in that book."

"Like what?" Hades' eyes scanned the boy's room until he found said book.

"Oh, you know, just the fact that every Villain's signature in their is exactly like their autograph out in the Parks... Is that a coincidence, by any chance?"

"So the kid does think," Hades remarked. "By any chance has that changed his mind?"

"Actually I did sign my name, I don't feel any evil-er, just the same amount of sexiness. So where you headed, Dad?"

"Oh, you know, completing that promise I made earlier. Cuz apparently a certain girl didn't die."

* * *

As soon as the bell rang, Phoebe quickly shot up from her desk and sprinted out of her biology class. She now had precisely ten minutes till the next exam, and then she would be done for the day. But right now, she had a terrible itch on one of her wings, so she rushed to the bathroom to let them stretch out for a bit.

Finding the largest stall in the girls room, she closed the bathroom stall behind her and unbuttoned her jacket letting her wings peak through. Because it was winter time, she could keep a jacket over her wings instead of having them hidden under her shirt.

Phoebe let out a sigh of relief as she itched underneath her feathers, and slightly shook them out. It was extremely uncomfortable having them boarded up for so long, and ever since she started exercising them, they were becoming more of a nuisance to hide.

After shaking them out for another minute, Phoebe slid them back into her jacket and patted her now hidden wings.

The girl scampered out of the bathroom, and made a beeline for her English class. It was a short walk to the back of the school, where the portables were located, and once she situated herself in her desk, Phoebe set down her back pack and sat patiently in her chair.

Finally the bell rang, announcing the start of the next exam, and her teacher started handing out her tests.

Yet still after barely a minute after the bell rang, the intercom interrupted Phoebe from starting her test.

"Hello? Does this thing even work?" The intercom exclaimed.

The voice was rather misplaced in East Texas, usually a Southern drawl was prominent in the principal's voice; which quickly made Phoebe notice something was up, and to top it all of her principal was a female not a male.

"Well, anyway, this is your- I think they call it- principal!... Yeah Principal Hades, nice ring don'tcha think?"

"So now that we got introductions out of the way, I am happy to announce that the previous principal is currently tied in a chair, but you know she is still acting like a great hostess, applause, everyone..." The voice of the intercom could be heard sarcastically clapping.

The students in Phoebe's classroom glanced around at each other, what was happening to their principal?

"So I bet by now the bright minds of our youth are wondering what I'm getting at... Well, as the new head honcho around here, I want all of you guys to know that the rest of your exams have been canceled-"

Everyone in the class started whooping in joy, but Phoebe remained indifferent to the news, as her suspicion grew. What-no _how_ was Hades even here. It wasn't Halloween anymore; could different rules apply to gods?

"But," the voice announced. "I still have one more test to administer, so will Miss Angel Cakes- Oh I mean Phoebe... Please report to my office- pronto! The rest of you are free to go- any stragglers will be given eternal torment, by yours truly! Oh, and did I mention that anyone who doesn't get out in the next two minutes will be stuck here forever, so wow- I got a minute forty-five, now!"

And just like that, no more came out of the intercom, and everywhere in the school all the students grabbed their stuff and ran from school; whether it was in fear or pure bliss that there were no more exams.

Phoebe inwardly groaned and slammed her face into her desk.

She was not ready for another fight, but God... Why couldn't anyone give her a break! Wasn't Saturday enough?! But Phoebe knew not to take this situation lightly, if Hades was here, he was either looking for a deal or something that could spell certain doom for her.

* * *

The winged girl ran from her classroom straight to the front office. Phoebe didn't really know where the principal's office was, but considering how she could hear Hades' smug voice it was quite easy to locate.

Phoebe cautiously peaked into the room, and found the aforementioned Lord of the Dead, and true to his word so was the tied-up principal. The lady didn't seem to show any fright at who she was sitting across from him- it did help that she was unconscious.

The girl inwardly groaned. _I don't even want to deal with this right now._

"Well," Hades smirked. The god leaned back in the swivel chair, and took a long drag from his cigar. His yellow eyes gazed intently into hers. "If it isn't the little bird who got away? Gods, had anyone ever told you how much you look like your mom- just not as thin- got that from your dad didn't you?"

Hades watched the girl's face to drop into confusion "Umm... Lord Hades, how are you even here?!"

Hades smirk grew. "Are you using manners, angel cakes?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes, curse the Blue Fairy and her mother for trying to make her polite.

"If it bothers you that much-"

"Nah, it has a nice ring -" Hades interrupted.

"But, back to your original question; gods can jump into any world, regardless of repercussions, kind of explains the amount of illegitimate kids around the world, but hey, just an observation."

Phoebe sighed, "Figures... So what do you want?" The girl curtly demanded.

"Look _babe_ , I'm not here for catching up; I'm here because of two reasons. First off, I made a promise with someone I've come to respect, and now here I am to keep it."

The girl nodded skeptically, "Kay... So... any chance I'm going to hear what you promised?"

"Well, I promised that you would die at Hollywood Studios, when that didn't happen, well... there was only one other thing to do: convince you to stop finding those six little keys."

"So you're threatening me?"

"Not me babe, someone else- which now intertwines with the second reason of why I'm here, because I have brought along a person who can _persuade_ _you_ to lay off the hero's business and leave it to the _real_ heroes."

"You don't need to be a hero to solve problems." Phoebe snapped, but her tone of voice was level; her passive aggressiveness was kicking in.

"Actually... they do. You see, babe, the way the Realms' laws work is that only heroes can beat villains- not sidekicks, wizards, or little guardian angels still going through puberty- the law calls for heroes.. The same goes for villains- only thing though is that villains can torment anyone they want, and the only people that can stop us are heroes. Ergo, your little quest, can't be completed, cuz it turns out you my little birdie, are still not a hero."

Phoebe's face fell into shock. "Is that why what happened with the Sorcerer's Hat turned out that way? Because I wasn't a hero?!"

Hades slowly clapped his hands, "Bingo."

"Then why does Yen Sid and Mr. Mouse want me to finish this quest?"

"Simple really," Hades shrugged. "They would've made Magic a hero- forever erasing the big black spot Vanessa made all those years ago, and proving to that defunct Council of theirs that Magic was always meant to be on the side of good. That's why you can't find any book of all the evils Miss butterfly did, they've been giving you propaganda, Phoebe, and they think by you not using your powers they can cover up the truth: that Magic was never meant to be good."

Phoebe took a slow step back, and felt her heart plummet into her stomach.

"You're lying," she stated, but her shaky tone, easily gave away that she believed him.

"Am I? I may be an evil god- that's the vindictive side, but all because I'm a villain- doesn't mean I lie. torture... Well I have a tight shift to keep..."

The god snapped his fingers and immediately the blinds behind him sprang up, and the now uncovered window revealed the kids who didn't make it out of school in time.

They were all being rounded up by a series of flames that herded them in the middle of the school's courtyard like cattle.

Phoebe narrowed her eyes, and stood straight once more. "Fine then... You've said your part- now go. Promise me at least that you cover up any trace that you were ever here!"

"Are you striking a deal Angel cakes, that's rather _villainous_ of you..." Hades rolled off his tongue. "Well, what do I get in turn?"

"The wonderful feeling that you helped somebody out?" Phoebe mumbled, feeling her gaze shift to the ground, knowing full well that wasn't enough.

"That's nice and all, but how about this: If you ever come around to say- the Underworld, a long shot really. How about you don't use any of your powers- including Vanessa's in my domain or against any of my subjects. Deal?"

The god rose from the desk, and stood three feet taller than her. He extended his left hand out to the short girl, and patiently waited for her to shake it.

Phoebe hesitated. That long grey hand promised something way too good to be true; school would go back to normal and she could finish her first semester exams without so much as a hitch, and so could the rest of her peers. But not being able to use Magic in the Underworld? Could she risk it? It's not like it's a place you want to go to, not even to check that off the 'places to visit.'

Yet still, school came first, and her mother worked here- what if she was stuck in that group of people out there?

So there was only one thing she could do.

Phoebe boldly joined her left hand into Hades' waiting palm, and felt a blaze of fire erupt where their hands met. The girl screamed in fear, she was starting to hate fire more and more, and the feeling of a powerful rush of energy seized her entire body, making Phoebe stumble to the ground.

Hades let go of her hand as she fell, and as she caught her breath, Phoebe shakily stood up.

"Now leave and change everything back."

"Sure thing angel cakes." The god smugly snapped his fingers, and her principal suddenly woke up. Another snap and both Phoebe and Hades disappeared from the office.

Phoebe found herself back in her seat in her English class, with her hand outstretched, receiving a stack of tests from one of the kids in front of her.

Did Hades just manipulate time?!

Phoebe did not have long to ponder this as she looked at her test, and in jagged blocked letters was a note written in black ink.

 _Oh and there's one more thing I forgot to mention, the Villain's sent along another representative with me! You might like him... He's tall, dark, and his beard is so... twisted? Yeah, that's it. Well gotta blaze, just remember, girlie This. Is. Your. Last. Chance._

The letter ended with no signature, but instead, a little blue flame that had sputtered to life.

* * *

 **Short chapter I know, but it was the last chapter I could squeeze in before I arrive at Disney World!**

 **As always fave and review! You guys read these stories for free, and a measly review is worth a lot to us fanfic writers!**

 **Angel of H-d out!**


	12. Snakes Why did it have to be Snakes!

**Snakes... Why did it have to be Snakes?**

* * *

 **A/N: Hello everyone, and happy Juneteenth! It's been awhile since I last updated, so I guess a long chapter was in order. Vacation is over for me and I can finally get back to this story before school starts again. Thanks to everyone who's checked out this story, and special thanks for everyone who has reviewed and favorited/followed my story.**

* * *

 _ **"Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable" - Romans 12:17**_

* * *

Phoebe didn't need another second to process the message, and quickly asked her teacher if she could go use the bathroom.

Once she received permission to leave, Phoebe grabbed her phone and half-ran, half-walked out of the portables. The winged girl looked around, making sure that the coast was clear, and taking off her jacket (she then tied it around her waist) she let her wings out and started running, and jumped into the air.

Her ability to take off for her flights was increasingly getting better, and with her wing muscles just a little sore, she managed to make it on top of the roof of her school. Phoebe walked along the roof, inspecting the open courtyard; she found barely any one out except for a janitor or a kid skipping class; everything seemed fine.

While her gaze was fixed down below her, Phoebe failed to notice a man appear behind her in a puff of red smoke.

Jafar smirked, he was hoping for a bit more of a change from the girl after not seeing her for three months, but she had stayed the same- well except that she was starting to lose the roundness of her cheeks, and her cheek bones were becoming more defined. She was decked out in a long sleeve with some leather boots and a blue scarf hung loosely around her neck.

The sorcerer announced his presence with a slight clearing of his throat.

Phoebe turned around in surprise, but her face melted into a steely gaze as she narrowed her bright green eyes and positioned her wings in a defensive stance.

"Jafar."

The old man slightly bowed in a mocking manner. "Your, ladyship."

"Hades told me you were here."

Jafar cocked one eyebrow in surprise. "Did he now? I wondered why I could smell something burning. That god is becoming quite the loose cannon ever since…" He stopped as if he was reconsidering something. "But no matter… I came here not for Hades, but to offer _you_ an apprenticeship."

"Sorry, I already have one. "

Jafar chuckled darkly to himself. "I'm sorry, but I fail to understand how an ancient wizard and a bumbling mouse can serve as a good teacher for a girl with your kind of powers. I was rather impressed with your performance three days earlier. Did you actually explode the statue with your Magic or a little something more?"

Phoebe hesitated, "Well, I kind of created a chemical reaction involving key reactive elements-"

Jafar waved his hand to signal her to stop. "Yes, yes, I was an alchemist before I became a sorcerer, but there is no question that you brought all the animatronics to life; that is indeed a great feat to accomplish. Many of the magic-wielders in the area had to disarm the rest of them. Too bad you did it on accident instead of a whim. Lack of control, child, is the very difference between a master and an apprentice."

Phoebe clenched her jaw in annoyance. Having another lecture of lacking self-control seemed to be the only thing people talked about, and having a villain tell her that? That hurt.

"Thank you Jafar… But I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request. My current teacher might be teaching me Magic all for the wrong reasons, but at least they care a little about my well-being. That's why they didn't have an emergency meeting to remove me from the coun- "

Phoebe jammed her mouth shut, knowing she had said too much. The sorcerer's eyes widened in surprise, but a wicked grin marred his already ugly face.

"Well, I am surprised at these turn of events… Taking off Magic from the council will create quite the stir in the Realms… No wonder the villains have been left out of this, having this kind of information could be used as a bargaining tool…"

The winged girl rolled her eyes, what was it with everyone trying to outgun everybody else? "Look, Jafar, just leave, I don't know how you're even here right now, but you have to go."

The sorcerer laughed. "I'm here because of Peter Pan."

"What?"

"Don't you see? When Pan slipped into your world a few weeks back, wherever the Crystal is locked up, it still allowed me to enter your world. It was only fair that a villain should get out as well, so I have _all_ day to spend in this modern world."

"I'm going to kill that kid…" Phoebe muttered. "Okay fine, just don't spend it he-"

"But, child, I came here for the sole purpose of teaching you."

"I'm in the middle of exams, plus I have special orders not to use any magic." Phoebe also wanted to say 'cuz you're a psychotic jerk,' but she didn't want to get on his bad side even more.

"Exams, you say? Well, then this is perfect!"

Phoebe blanched. Okay, so maybe it was a really good idea to stop talking.

Jafar took a few steps back and he swung out his staff, the glittering ruby eyes of the snake staff started powering up with power.

"Let's see your defense magic!"

Phoebe barely had time to react as the sorcerer released a barrage of magic at her. The winged girl felt herself jump into the air, as she didn't know how to block magical attacks, Yen Sid had never showed her combat, just the simple technique of moving things around.

"Don't dodge it! Attack!"

Landing back on land, Phoebe had to skitter away as Jafar continued the barrage.

"Jafar!" Phoebe panted as she ducked, barely missing a ray of magic. "I don't know any of this stuff!"

"My dear, that's why I'm showing you. Look at what I can teach you!"

The sorcerer tapped his staff on the ground and suddenly a circle of fire surrounded Phoebe, looking to the skies, the girl was about to jump when chains suddenly appeared around her ankles, keeping her stuck on the roof.

Phoebe tried once more to fly, but the chains held fast, as they glowed a strange yellow-gold.

"Adamantium, don't you just love it?" The sorcerer joked as he stepped through the flames.

The girl flinched as the circle of fire seemed to shrink as Jafar approached.

"Now, child, I will ask you once more- "

Phoebe felt the chains around her grow tighter, and she felt herself sinking into the roof like it was quicksand.

"Will you accept my apprenticeship?" It was more of a statement than a question.

The girl felt her legs dangling in open space now as she was hip-deep into the roof. Somewhere down below her, a couple students noticed her kicking feet.

Phoebe suddenly felt Jafar's snake staff underneath her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

"Well?"

 _Slurp!_

The girl didn't have time to say anything as someone had grabbed her dangling feet and pulled her inside of the building.

Phoebe felt herself subject to gravity, and she landed on a heap of desks, and to her right probably her savior who had been knocked to the side thanks to the girl's wings.

The winged girl slowly sat up and rubbed her sore back and wings, the wood underneath them wasn't the best thing to catch her. Taking a glance around the room, Phoebe, found herself in a classroom littered with desks, but for some reason devoid of people- well except for her savior, who was holding the chains that were around her ankles.

On closer inspection, at her savior, the winged girl did a double-take; it was Kaitlyn.

 _Of all the people… Why is it the one person I don't want to see!_ Phoebe thought _, and how did she even get the chains off?!_

Phoebe flinched as she heard a loud roar of anger come from above her, she guessed that Jafar was none too happy that she escaped, and he would be here any second now.

Looking back at her unconscious friend, Phoebe felt the unsettling feeling of loyalty and shook her awake.

Kaitlyn felt the girl's prodding and woke up.

"Uh, what are you doing Phoebe?" Her tone was filled with disdain and her gaze was filled with confusion.

Phoebe grabbed her wrist, dragging her away from the classroom, shouting. "Saving your life!"

"Well you don't have to pull on my wrists so-"

Kaitlyn stopped mid-sentence as right in front of the duo, Jafar appeared.

"Shi-"

"Don't finish that!" Phoebe commanded as she led Kaitlyn down the direction they had just ran from.

The duo rounded a corner and came across a flight of stairs, and ran down them.

"Phoebe! What is going on right now?! Was that that guy from Aladdin?! Why is he chasing us?! Is he mad about what happened back on Halloween?!"

Phoebe ignored the majority of her ex-friend's questions, but the last one caused her to stop in her tracks.

"What did you say?"

"You know…" Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. "Halloween, when we were all kidnapped by Captain Hook, and there was a dagger, Maleficent poked something in my eye, I was mad at you because of Antho-"

"You remember what happened?" Phoebe asked, shock was written all across her face.

"Well, yeah. Nobody else remembered it, for some reason, but I did. I just never told my parents about it cuz I knew they would think I was crazy, especially with the whole Disney element in this-"

The girl continued on talking, causing Phoebe to groan, she had not changed one bit.

"Look we probably should start run-"

"And that's why I haven't talked to you."

"Wait what?" Phoebe asked, she was suddenly very confused on what Kaitlyn was saying.

"Already tired out I see?" Jafar had materialized once more in front of the girl's path.

Phoebe knew running was only going to delay the inevitable, and she had to something!

"Kaitlyn, run…" The winged girl whispered.

"What? I-"

"Just go!" Phoebe shouted, but suddenly she felt Kaitlyn bringing her down to the floor, as a ray of red magic sailed right where Phoebe's head had been.

"Come on, Fifi!" Kaitlyn shouted, using Phoebe's childhood nickname. With the use of her height and weight against the winged girl, Kaitlyn grabbed her wrist and started dragging her like Phoebe had been doing previously.

Phoebe ran along with her, she glanced back briefly to see Jafar's eyes squint and his snarling, and he soon disappeared.

Kaitlyn led the winged girl to the open courtyard, and immediately let her go. She turned to Phoebe a plan was forming on her lips.

"We're going to die here; do you have that dagger- wait you can to fly us out of here!"

Phoebe snorted. "My dagger's at home… Wait do you know how heavy you are?"

"Shut up, Fifi. Then what's the point of wings if you can't use them?"

The winged girl didn't know which one was more insulting: her nickname or just being called weak.

"You know you don't have to help me."

Kaitlyn smiled, "And leave you with all the work? Come on sweetie, I know you can't handle this all on your own."

Phoebe clenched her jaw, she hated it when someone belittled her. The girl couldn't believe she once called her friend- no, best friend. It's funny how some friendships can start off well, but turn into something completely different, the same can be said the other way around.

The winged girl was about to retort when suddenly Jafar walked, slowly towards them. His expression was calm unlike before, his staff lightly tapped the cobblestone. Phoebe and Kaitlyn watched from behind a pillar and they made their way inside the school building once more, and hid in the girl's bathroom.

The girls huddled in the biggest stall, and found a small window at the top left of the wall. Phoebe, taking advantage of her wings she managed to grab onto the ledge, and held herself there as she continued watching Jafar.

Phoebe gulped as she surveyed the damage that Jafar was creating with the amount of walls cracking and rumbling as pillars fell underneath his magic.

The sorcerer continued circling the courtyard, completely oblivious to the pair of eyes watching him.

"Come out, Phoebe…"

Receiving no response, Jafar scowled. "You, petulant little child, I insist, if you don't accept, then I must take drastic measures."

Phoebe scoffed as she lowered herself back to the ground. "Give me your worst."

"Very well…" Jafar's voice was almost sympathetic. Suddenly his entire form was changing and in the place of the thing old man stood a forty-foot-tall snake, and that wasn't even counting how long he was.

"You're playing with the big boys now!"

* * *

"Alright, let's take attendance today!"

The announcer was the only male in the room, he was decked out in a copper jumpsuit that could be best described as a space man suit. The boy was the apprentice of Jumba Jookiba, he differed from his friends by his dark skin, and prominent ears with black short hair, and he had on block glasses resting on his nose.

The 'meeting' room; which was actually just Zelda Sawyer's dining room, a group of friends were seated at a round table, where five people sat, but one chair was empty.

These group of friends were each different in their own respects.

"Lauren Hancock? Are you here?" The boy continued, holding up a rather large leather-bound book.

"Here." The Jungle Cruise skipper called. She was still decked out in her pirate suit and covered with her usual assortment of weapons.

"Elise T. Whitmore?"

"Here," The thin girl replied without looking up from her book. The sophisticated brunette was dressed in a pretty black dress, she had recently just ran out of one of her grandfather's friend's parties, which had been on a river boat, and at her first chance of freedom, she ran over to the meeting that certainly did not involve stealing a rescue boat.

"Good, good. Zelda Sawyer!"

Zelda sat where her father usually sat. Her blonde hair was put in two braids, and her arms were crossed, each hand held a revolver, and her fingers continued to thrum against the barrels of the pistols. She wore a straw cowgirl hat with a blue bandana hanging around her neck, the brown buckskin jacket she was in, had little tassels that ended in little beads. This was her favorite attire, but if her Great Aunt Polly saw how she was dressed, she would certainly have a cow! But at least she was still looking for her nephew, Zelda's father.

"This is my house."

"Are you here, then?"

"Yes, Inigo," Zelda rolled her eyes. She was having enough of Inigo's roll call.

"Now, Tamara Young!"

Tamara, commonly referred to as 'Tammy,' was the only girl who didn't come from any particular world. While Elise came from the world of Atlantis, and Inigo from the world of Lilo and Stitch (well mostly Stitch's former world); Tammy came from the real world.

A few years back she had accidently fallen into the river that surrounded Tom Sawyer's island, while riding the steamboat: The Liberty Belle, and Tammy had been rescued by Zelda and her godfather Huck while they were out fishing.

At first the girl could not see them until she was pulled into the canoe, and thus, gained back her Spark. Ever since then, Zelda and Tammy became the best of friends. Thankfully, for the two of them, Tammy lived in Orlando, and every chance she got, Tammy would take advantage of her Uncle Bruce's generosity and use his money and his time to visit the Parks and see her friend and the world that was hidden to her.

Tammy was barely fifteen, and the youngest of the group, she had bleach blonde hair, and her eyes were extraordinarily bright for having brown eyes. This was a sign of the Spark that she held.

She was also different in how she was the only one getting older, while everybody else was sixteen for the past three years (in the modern world time).

"Right next to you…"

"Oh, yes," Inigo exclaimed, peaking over the edges of the book.

"Inigo Borg, are you here?" The boy chuckled to himself. "Why, yes I am."

"Now lastly, Rhoda Phoebe Palomera! Um…" Inigo looked quizzically around the table. "Where is she?"

Elise's eyes widened. "Oh no! I forgot to tell Phoebe we moved the meeting to Zelda's house."

"Dangit, Lis." Lauren cursed. "Didn't I tell you to give her our contact information?"

"What? I didn't know her contact information! I forgot to ask her at Hollywood Studios with everything that was transpiring. Oh no, I bet she's all alone in the world of Winnie the Pooh, looking around for her friends."

Tammy laughed. "Are you kidding me? she's probably figured out we're in the system."

Elise turned to Tammy. " _I'm_ in the system?"

Lauren chuckled, and nodded her head. "You're in the system."

Elise stared traumatized around the room, and squeaked, "The _system_?"

Zelda stood up from her seat and put her pistols down on the table. "Guys, she didn't show up because you scared her, I bet."

Lauren nodded her head, "I've been known to do that."

"But, wait," Inigo said, still clutching the book. "If she signed the book, then she would be summoned here automatically."

The group of friends simultaneously gasped.

Tammy was the first to speak. "Guys, it's okay, she blew up the Sorcerer's Hat to defeat all the animatronics right?"

Everyone nodded.

"Well, maybe she still hasn't accepted being a hero, yet. Signing the book, doesn't make you one automatically, maybe the book thought she wasn't ready."

Inigo suddenly had a thought; he worked a lot with Jumba and because of the recent events of the Crystal missing and the animatronics he was sent to go keep log of the goings-on between each of the realms. It was sort of ironic though, considering how his friend Lauren was a smuggler.

"Wait a sec'…"

Lauren and Zelda stared at him. "What?"

"I might've… kind've… read a report from an hour ago saying that _someone had left the Parks!"_ He rushed out.

"Well, who was it?" Elise snapped, she really wanted to read more of Samuel Coolidge, and with Inigo's voice, it was not helping her find some peace.

"Jafar."

Lauren slammed her fist into the table, and stood up. "Crap, Inigo, this is the kind of things you tell us."

Inigo squirmed in his seat. "Well, I'm sorry…"

"Do you at least know where he's headed?"

Zelda lifted her gun, and aimed it at the wall above Inigo. "Look, y'all, we all know where he's headed. Whether we hate to admit it or not; he's in the modern world, and since he is… Well, let's hope Phoebe figures it out."

"And by the powers of the book if she becomes a hero, only Tammy will automatically come to her aid, since we characters can't leave the Parks."

Inigo nodded his head. "Well, unless she falls into temptation and chooses to do something evil like killing him, or-"

"We know, Inigo!" Four voices rang out in unison.

* * *

"Oh," Kaitlyn muttered, she lightly patted Phoebe on her head.

"Well, I'm sure you can handle this Phoebe, seeing how you can take care of yourself."

The winged girl felt like making an 'oh really' face, but bit back the urge. "Go hide, the things I can do I can't have people around."

Kaitlyn scoffed. "Don't act too cocky, Fifi."

"That's sweet coming from you!" Phoebe spat.

"What does that even mean Phoebe?!"

"Well, seeing how you always talk about yourself."

"Oh, she speaks?! I was wondering when you were finally going to get your own personality!"

The girl's continued their bickering, oblivious to the situation at hand. It had been several years since Phoebe had had a real conversation with her ex-best friend, and now that the two were stuck together, all the hatred and animosity Phoebe had been feeling about Kaitlyn came in full force.

From the hundreds of times she ignored her to the time when she left her alone to go find more enjoyable company, to the time where she took her library book, here it was at last, Phoebe's emotional side. It had taken several years to accumulate, and all it did was add fire to the girl's yelling.

Yet even Kaitlyn had somethings to yell at her friend. Starting in second grade, back when Phoebe was a chatty Patty, Phoebe had told Kaitlyn's crush that, well, she like him! Phoebe also told on her whenever she cussed and chewed gum, and didn't approve of many of the things she liked all because her mother had labeled it as 'bad.'

Kaitlyn, unlike her friend, was not naïve. While Phoebe struggled through middle school, Kaitlyn was more exposed to the real world and not stuck in the world of fantasy and books Phoebe had enclosed herself in.

Kaitlyn rather liked growing up, and all that it entailed from boyfriends to driving to being treated as an equal with her parents. Although, her parents were quite oblivious to her, and focused more on her older siblings since she was often referred to as an 'accident.' So she had learned to grow up just a bit faster and because of that it created a rift between the two best friends.

Phoebe in a way understood her friend's desire, but she felt she was not ready to grow up and frowned upon what Kaitlyn was turning into. Kaitlyn's other friends as well weren't the nicest people and they further created a rift between the two, and eventually Kaitlyn snapped, and ended her relationship with Phoebe.

On occasion though, Kaitlyn would mosey on over to see her ex-friend, and talk to her about how amazing her grownup life was, and it further fueled Phoebe into a deep seated hatred, Kaitlyn, though, was quite oblivious to her former friend's feelings and continued to talk to her, despite what the two had been through in the past. After all, to Kaitlyn, friendship always benefitted her.

"Just get out, okay! I don't want to see your face ever again," Phoebe yelled.

"Fine! See if I care! Maybe it'll work out for me since you never had feelings!"

"Kind of works that way when you never care to hear me out, you jerk!"

"And you're a coward!"

Phoebe felt Vanessa stirring in her mind and she suddenly felt the urge to slap her friend, but she knew she would be on the same level as her if she did.

Kaitlyn gave her one last look, and muttered. "Baby… At least wear clothes that are your age!" And she stormed out of the bathroom.

Phoebe flinched at the last one and suddenly she felt hot, stinging tears slide down her face. The winged girl, furiously wiped them away, and she kicked the bathroom wall. Magic soared out of her foot and the wall turned into ice, she kicked it again, and it turned into limestone, and then she kicked it once more and it turned back to its normal cement.

The girl fell to the floor, and started silently crying. She lowered her wings in sadness, and stared at the plastic stall, and looked at the wall of misery.

It was dubbed so since, every time a girl was angry or sad, or in love would write something on it. The words that stared back at her were perfect for her current mood.

"I love Jorge."

"Jorge is a sneaky little son of a b-"

"Death."

And lastly, Phoebe's personal favorite, "Everyone is going to die."

The school building rocked once more as Jafar's large snake head slammed into the building.

Phoebe let loose a loud angry scream, "Can't you see I just want to cry right now!"

The winged girl rarely let her emotions get into her way, especially with something as big as Jafar being in her school was. It was even odder though when no tears came, instead anger took its toll on the girl, and anger was usually one of her easiest to control.

So in a word, Phoebe had officially snapped.

And Vanessa was more than happy to slip into control.

* * *

Kaitlyn angrily stormed out of the bathroom. Sometimes she wondered what she had seen in Phoebe when they met at the age of five. Maybe because she was as lost and afraid as her, maybe both of them needed a friend, or maybe it was something else entirely.

Yet, Kaitlyn was slightly more annoyed at her because of less the obvious reasons like how Maleficent had sucked something out of her three months earlier and that she blamed Phoebe for Anthony not coming back.

You know, despite what Anthony had at first said about Kaitlyn, they had gotten along much better than what he originally implied.

They had two weeks together and they had initially bonded over orchestra. While Anthony stuck out like a sore thumb with his wild eccentricities, Kaitlyn was more than happy to show him the ropes.

He never needed any musical help, but he was just odd; he liked to ramble and talk about things she didn't understand, and it was then and there where she put two and two together when she accidentally saw his hair burst into blue flames after she playfully scared him.

And after two minutes he started squealing. He really was so easy to manipulate.

Kaitlyn knew what she was getting into the night of Halloween, she just didn't expect Phoebe to be part of it. Anthony didn't know too much of who was being kidnapped, but it didn't bother him until that night, and when it turned out Phoebe was the one they were looking for and not Kaitlyn.

At least that's what Anthony claimed; he disappeared soon after and had not sent her a message since the first of November.

In effect, Kaitlyn had blamed Phoebe all for it, and dear lord, if Anthony ignored one more of her texts!

The blonde sighed, she might as well go back to the empty classroom and wait for her mom to pick her up; she didn't have an afternoon exam today, and she had hidden away in the only empty unlocked room. Going back up the stairs, oblivious to the constant trembling of the school, Kaitlyn slid into the classroom, but she soon found that the class wasn't empty anymore.

"Kaitlyn, babe, please sit down. We have a _lot_ to chat about."

* * *

Phoebe felt her mind slipping as she felt herself falling asleep. She suddenly opened her eyes, but instead of their normal green, they were a vibrant purple.

Vanessa felt her spirit slide deeper into her body and soon she was able to lift the girl's hands and then her legs.

She soon found the strength to stand, and she tried to move Phoebe's wings, but she realized she could not.

"Interesting…"

The pearly wings hung limply on her back and refused to move, much less twitch for Vanessa.

Ignoring them, Vanessa took a small step, and nearly fell over, but she caught herself by leaning on the wall.

"Oh, I forgot what it was like having a tangible body, much less being bipedal," she exclaimed referring to how her last form was a dragon.

The former Magic made her way across the bathroom and managed to open a door. At first she tried pulling it like she had seen Phoebe do before, but for some reason it didn't budge. Vanessa kept pulling, but then that pudgy blonde, Kaitlyn- that was her name, opened the door, and she fell back.

"Phoebe, don't lie around, we got a villain to defeat!"

Kaitlyn pulled Vanessa back to her feet, but once she did, the possessed Phoebe roughly growled at her.

"I can stand myself, thank you, you pleab."

"Fifi, are you okay?"

"Of course, now speak! You are wasting my precious time, and I wish to use it to the fullest before that stupid girl wakes up!"

"Phoebe, come on, I found those chains I took off you, I have a feeling we can use them on Jafar."

Vanessa scoffed. "They can be easily removed. After all, all it takes is for a simple mortal to remove them."

Kaitlyn frowned, "What's wrong with being mortal? Aren't you?"

"Oh, and I thought the females of the human race were progressing. Come now, I'm not mortal, this body I am inhabiting is of godly blood, she was a god before her foolish father turned her mortal."

"Uh-huh… Phoebe, we still have Jafar to send back, you know…"

"Yes, yes, I heard you the first time, but I can do this myself, I am Magic after all."

Kaitlyn scrunched her face in confusion. "What's wrong with your eyes?" The girl exclaimed, now noticing Phoebe's strange new eye color.

"Oh nothing, come now, Katy-"

"It's Kaitlyn," She exclaimed, rather annoyed.

"As the people of this age say- whatever."

Vanessa walked past Kaitlyn, but suddenly the blonde grabbed her arm, and dragged her back into the bathroom.

"Okay, you've never called me that- and you should know how much I hate it… Fifi…"

Vanessa struggled in her grasp, "Let me go." The spirit could not believe how strong Kaitlyn was, or how weak Phoebe's strength was.

"Well, Fifi, seeing how you seem to forget so much about me, isn't it convenient that I still remember this!"

"What are you- "

Kaitlyn managed to pin Vanessa underneath the faucet of the sink and turned the water onto cold, letting loose a current of freezing water on her neck.

"COLD!"

Phoebe's eye color changed from purple and back to green, Kaitlyn immediately let her go, and watched the girl run around the bathroom screaming.

Kaitlyn remembered that Phoebe always had a special weakness to cold water, and for some reason whenever Phoebe was having one of her weird clever moments, she would have a water gun, filled with icy water, handy at all times to spray her to calm her down.

Phoebe stopped running around and eyed Kaitlyn curiously. "You remembered that?"

"Forget spraying you with water? Never…"

Phoebe laughed. "But really? Now?"

Kaitlyn shrugged. "You were possessed. Now let's go we have a villain to st-"

"Wait Kaitlyn…" Phoebe started. "I don't want to start this without apology- "

The blonde shook her head and interrupted her, she calmly looked her in her eyes. "Fifi, stop. Look I'm sorry for putting myself before you. I never asked you about how you were doing, or even bothered to take your feelings into account. I just felt kind of jealous." Her statement sounded rather practiced, but this went over Phoebe's head.

"I mean you had a family who was there for you and always gave you attention. That's why I wanted to talk so much, to everyone really. I just want attention sometimes, and seeing you surrounded by your own family, well, I wanted what you have… And still do."

The winged girl gave a half-laugh. "Really? Family? Jealous?"

Kaitlyn nodded, with a melancholy look. "Yeah… Silly isn't it?"

Phoebe nodded, "Yes."

"You weren't supposed to agree, that was a rhetorical question."

"Oh… Oops… But I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have yelled at you, and other things like hating you, or cursing your name, or wishing you could die… Yeah, I'm not the most forgiving person, but I have new mentors who are working on that."

"I forgive you… Best friends forever, right?"

"Yeah, yeah… Now come on!" Phoebe exclaimed, her exuberance was returning. It wasn't every day when your ex-best friend apologizes or says they were wrong.

"Right now we can possibly die, or worse, get expelled if we don't kick Jafar back to Disney World!"

"Did you really just quote Hermione?"

"Yes… Now let's go before I contemplate how much of a nerd I am!" Phoebe shouted and a beam of magic shot out of her hand and turned the back wall into water.

The water cascaded down and soon became a giant puddle.

Two girls now faced a very large snake, who's face changed from shock and confusion to glee.

"So, chatting are we?"

Kaitlyn turned to Phoebe, and exasperated look was written across her face. "Really? Your magic works now?"

"I-I it's complicated!"

The duo quickly moved away as Jafar's tail lunged out to grab them.

Phoebe felt her hand being held tightly by her friend as she led them away into the courtyard.

But soon, the tail came from over their heads and blocked their path, Kaitlyn turned around but soon the two friends found they were trapped as Jafar lifted himself higher up and laughed maliciously at them.

"You poor little foolssss… So tell me, Phoebe, what would you be willing to do to let your friend live, _hmm?"_

At that moment Jafar's tail separated Kaitlyn from Phoebe and he immediately coiled himself around the blonde. The pudgy girl felt herself being squished more tightly as he brought her closer to his face.

"Ah, yesssss, I remember you now… You're the one we took your role of hero from… Interesting in how you ssstill manage to be friendsss with her after the precioussss little thing sshe ssstole."

"He's lying, Kaitlyn, I didn't do any of that!" Phoebe shouted as she flew into the air and shot a beam of magic at Jafar only for it to bounce off his scaly hide.

"Am I? Well, what ssssay you would happen if ssshe wanted it back? Ssshe'd fall in love, and live happily ever after, something you ssstole from her!"

Kaitlyn stopped squirming, "Wait, that's why I can't keep a boyfriend…?"

Jafar paused, "Why, I think that'sss exactly the reassson… How about you asssk for it back, maybe it'sss time for your friend to treat you like one."

Phoebe hopped onto Jafar's head, and wrapped the chains around his neck. "Let her go, Jafar! Your business is with me."

The girl tightened her grip on the chains, and she felt Jafar gurgle as he was choked. He let go of Kaitlyn and slammed his head into the school building and Phoebe fell off and onto the roof.

Mildly disoriented, the girl stood up as Jafar regained his senses. "You foolisssh child, here I am offering help to both of you but all you want to do is fight me… Very well… If I am to be presssented asss a reasonable man, perhapsss I ssshould be one."

Jafar's form shrank 200 times smaller into his normal thin human self. His staff now rested in his two hands as he stood on the roof in front of Phoebe, like when they first met earlier.

Kaitlyn, though, was shouting at the pair. "Wait, you can make me a hero again?"

The sorcerer nodded. "Yes, but all I need is a little sample of blood, Phoebe? Remember this is for your friend."

Phoebe paled at Jafar's offer. Would she really give up the chance to live happily ever after for Kaitlyn, the girl she just forgave? Forgiveness was a tricky thing and the fact that she still harbored some feelings of resentment towards her, was it truly enough to risk not being Magic until she turned sixteen? Especially with the whole crisis in the Parks without the Crystal, if she gave it up would she even be able to take Jafar back? Would her wings disappear?

Everything could change just like that, was her friend's happiness worth it? Would her friend betray her like she had done several times in the past?

"Phoebe, I am not offering my apprenticeship, just yet. That is a later deal…"

The winged girl felt her wings tense, she was being baited. "Fine," she agreed. If it meant her magic was being taken away, at least it would motivate Jafar to leave.

From Jafar's shirt, he procured a twisted blade, with an extremely dangerous looking point. The sorcerer grabbed the girl's out stretched hand and made a swift swipe across her small hand.

Phoebe hissed as it slid across, and soon a thin line of blood started pouring over her outstretched palm. Jafar collected the stream of blood in a small glass bottle he had and stuffed it back into his robe.

Phoebe grabbed her scarf and wrapped it around her wound, she stared back at him, "Well, what now?"

Jafar flashed her a wicked gleam, "That was your payment for what I'm about to do-"

"You mean you didn't need my blood?!"

The sorcerer rolled his eyes. "Of course not, I just needed some insurance, you understand, right?"

The winged girl grumbled. "Fine, just do it."

Jafar slightly bowed, "But of course, I only wanted to make sure you were ready."

Then the man reached into one of his sleeves and pulled out a blue diamond ring.

"It's funny how the sultan came across such a jewel, if only he knew that it came from Atlantis; the power it creates…"

The sorcerer placed the ring on the bridge of his snake staff's mouth, and he struck it down. The sky immediately turned red and the clouds turned a dark purple, the wind was picking up and soon, Kaitlyn felt herself being lifted to the roof. She ran to Phoebe, but soon the two of them found themselves in a mini red tornado of their own.

Auras started pulsing around Phoebe and Kaitlyn, the colors blue/purple and dark pink pulsed around them, respectively, but Phoebe's had the smallest hint of light pink: Kaitlyn's heroism.

Jafar guided his staff and soon the tiny sliver of pink moved away from Phoebe's aura and he transported it back into Kaitlyn's. Phoebe's aura lost any amount of purple and her remaining aura flickered from blue to a more vibrant turquoise.

The winged girl felt her wings trying to detach themselves, Phoebe couldn't help but let loose a scream. After having them for three months, they were a part of her body, and if she lost them it would be like losing one of her arms or legs, but, as her aura turned completely turquoise, the color suddenly felt her wings hug her back once more.

Kaitlyn fell to the ground as the light pink slipped into her and she gasped as Phoebe's aura started flickering from turquoise to sky blue; until it remained turquoise.

Phoebe fell painfully back to the roof and felt her wings grow slack. The short girl's breath caught in her throat as she tried to feel her wings, she tentatively reached out her hand to stroke them and as she did they thankfully reacted to her hand and twitched.

Phoebe turned to her passed out friend and helped the girl come to, as she did, she flexed her two wings, feeling the strains of when the process tried to remove her wings.

Each wing soon started responding to Phoebe, and the winged girl sighed in relief.

Jafar watched the duo, but kept a sharp eye on Phoebe. He was rather curious on what the effects this would do to the girl, but so far nothing was wrong; and she still was alive, but what of her Magic?

"Congrats, you survived… But is your magic still intact?"

Phoebe flicked her left wrist, but no such spark erupted from her fingertips. She tried the action again, but still nothing happened. The girl searched her mind looking for the voice of Vanessa, but for once, her mind was silent.

Jafar chuckled, the ruby eyes of the snake staff started to gleam. "Seems your sacrifice was all for naught. Oh well, not everyone gets happily ever after. Too bad you can't even protect your friend! "

The sorcerer wickedly laughed as he saw the winged girl grabbing the chains. "Now, Phoebe… We can't break the rules of the Realms, only heroes can stop me, and you are not that anymore."

Phoebe paled, Kaitlyn was still out cold and there was no way the girl could do anything to protect them, offensively.

The girl started shaking her old friend hoping she would wake up, "Kaitlyn, wake up, wake up! Please-"

A beam of red magic zapped out of the snake staff. Phoebe felt the split second last a lifetime as she stood in front of the beam as it raced toward Kaitlyn, its initial target.

Jafar's face twisted in shock, he didn't think the girl would actually use her own self to protect her friend.

"Child, what are you-"

Phoebe never felt such a shock enter her body, feeling his magic inside of her, she felt his anger, his fear, and his hatred. Everything about it screamed the eternal torment of what dark magic did to its wielders, but, all it did was snap something inside of her. The three fairies from Sleeping Beauty had warned her that as Magic she could soak up and steal people's magic and convert it into her own. At that moment, Phoebe realized exactly how to change Jafar's magic.

The thoughts were immediately pushed away as a beam of white light erupted from her eyes and gaping mouth, and rays formed from her wings, and a huge gust of wind soon followed. Her turquoise aura flickered back into a brilliant shade of sky blue and unlike before, the purple hues returned, but less dominant than when Phoebe first became magic.

Jafar felt himself being blinded by the light and the wind picked up enough for him to push him back. He covered his face with his arms, to protect his face. The sorcerer neared the edge of the roof and as he felt himself tip over, a giant white vortex formed behind him, and someone jumped out of it, and kicked him forward.

The sorcerer was sent sprawling and he landed in a heap, as a girl with bleach blonde hair and bright brown eyes stepped out. Her skin was sunburned, and she looked like she had been running for quite some time, she was rather athletic-looking, but her height was barely taller than Kaitlyn.

Phoebe felt the white light inside of her disappear and she returned back to her normal state. She turned her attention to the new girl who walked out of the vortex.

Said girl awkwardly nodded at each of the people in front of her. "Well, this is awkward… Hey nice wings. You, you have a nice shirt, and you… Jafar? Okay… This is already complicated but-"

Tammy whipped out the two pistols that Zelda had led her borrow, and pointed them both at the sorcerer. "Stay down, cuz I will cut you."

Phoebe cocked an eyebrow, "You have guns."

"Hey, they're filled with blanks! Can't you do something?!" the girl yelled.

Phoebe gave a silent, oh, and picked up the Adamantium chains and cuffed the incapacitated sorcerer.

Tammy and Phoebe shared a look. "That was easy"

Phoebe shrugged, "Meh… There's still a lot of damage."

The girl smirked, she was starting to like this girl, maybe she was meant to join their little group.

"I'm Tammy, you know that book you signed, well, I'm here for your assistance…"

The winged girl shook out her wings and let them extend to their full span, she eyed Tammy strangely, but she felt something friendly about her. "Hi, I'm Phoebe."

Phoebe extended out her hand and Tammy reciprocated. The winged girl's face fell slightly when she realized she was shaking her bleeding hand.

"Oh, my gosh- I'm sorry, I-"

The girl waved it off. "Girl, this is fine, having someone bleed all over me is well- new, but looks like we're bound by blood, huh?"

Phoebe forced a smile. "Sure… friend… Acquaintance... Blood buddy."

Tammy rolled her eyes. "You really need to get out more."

"Yeah…"

"Yeah," Tammy repeated, she looked around the roof of the school and took in a deep breath. "And my work here is done, so see you at the next meeting… bye, bird brain."

The same white vortex started flickering into existence and Tammy stepped through. She really wasn't into social interactions, so she felt like she made a good first impression, and left the two girls with a handcuffed Jafar.

Phoebe weakly waved, "Bye… Berny."

The girl then moved quickly beside her friend, and found that the girl had already come to.

Kaitlyn's face looked utterly confused. "Is that how you've survived your little adventures?"

Phoebe thought for a second. "This is like my second… Anything can happen, it's Disney. Now what to do with you, Ja-."

The winged girl did not have long to think about that as suddenly a voice erupted into their eardrums.

"PHOEBE AND KAITLYN, STAY WHERE YOU ARE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS COMING TO BRING YOU DOWN!"

Phoebe quickly unwrapped her jacket from her waist and hid her wings in them.

The real principal stood at the bottom of the courtyard, a megaphone was clenched tightly between her hands, and she was flanked by two administrators, and her mother. They had recently just looked out the window and found the state of their school, completely trashed, and two students walking along the roof.

Jafar smirked and as soon as his skin touched the metal of the chains, they fell of off him and onto the floor. "Oh, and by the way, send my regards to the Blue Fairy…"

He quickly picked up the Adamantium chains and disappeared, back to the Parks.

"Oh, so that's what Hades meant they could be removed by mortals," Kaitlyn mused.

Phoebe turned to her friend, "What?"

Kaitlyn put a hand to her mouth, "I mean Vanessa- your um… weird counter-part."

The winged girl accepted this answer and took a seat on the roof as she watched her mother yell at her from down below. Kaitlyn and Phoebe gave each other a forced grin, and the blonde took a seat beside her old friend.

Maybe this was the new beginning to an old friendship. The two girls gave a very awkward hug, and for a second, it seemed like everything was going to be fine between them.

Maybe it would have been more believable if Kaitlyn hadn't been looking at a smirking god. The flame haired being held his head high and silently clapped his hands, mouthing the words "Nice job, kid… Remember our deal, now..."

* * *

In the end of the day, Phoebe was not blamed for the destruction of the school.

Hades, dear lord, actually came through and kept his end of the deal- despite Jafar destroying all of it, and he even paid for all the damages.

But Phoebe was still expelled: for skipping her English exam and walking along the roof of the school. Kaitlyn, well she was let off easy. Mostly, because Phoebe took most of the blame, and claimed she peer pressured the girl into following her onto the roof.

So in a word, it was time for the girl to find a new school, and her mother was quite furious and Phoebe was stuck at home for one whole week, both grounded and expelled. But all it meant was that Phoebe could spend the remainder of her time at the Parks.

As she lay locked in her room, Drew was enjoying some ice cream because she didn't get the fire department yelling at her, so Phoebe had spent the first hours of her grounding, laying down on her bed with her wings sprawled out. She was exhausted from using a new form of magic and she had used up the rest of her energy trying to find Vanessa in her mind, but there she resided not as dominantly as before.

Her phone started ringing beside her; it looked like her mother forgot to take that away…

Picking it up, Phoebe put the phone to her ear and muttered, "Sup."

It was Mickey Mouse; he had placed his number on their after he had retrieved her phone from the Great Movie Ride.

"So was Jafar at-"

Phoebe muttered a quick, "Yup."

"And?"

"Trashed my school."

"Do you need-"

"Nah, Hades, under the guise of a Mr. Hayden- clever, isn't it? gave up money to pay for any of the damages."

Mickey remained silent for a moment as he processed this information, Yen Sid was beside him, and he relayed this information to him. "Did Jafar say anything?"

"Just that he'll keep offering me apprenticeship."

Mickey wasn't able to reply as Yen Sid snatched the phone away from him.

"Hang on a sec'-"

"Quiet Mickey," The sorcerer barked. "I need to speak with my other student."

Cautiously putting the phone to the side of his face, he called out, "Phoebe, this is Yen Sid… I felt a disturbance in your magic today… Did you…"

Phoebe groaned. "I gave up my heroism position or something, but my magic started working later."

"Hmm… Your friend was in danger?"

"Yeah, she's safe, her happily ever after intact."

The sorcerer felt a smile tug on his face. "You sacrificed your life for her, hmm? Well it looks like this is an easy mystery to solve- you created your own path, Phoebe. You made yourself a hero, not very many people can say that- most heroes were born with it."

Phoebe felt herself feel extremely uncomfortable, Yen Sid had never voiced praise on her actions before. It was new and almost nice especially considering how she lost her position as head council leader and he had told her to work on her control.

Well it's funny how that works because ever since this morning's incident, Vanessa was no longer bothering her, if anything, Phoebe could now block out her voice- as if by making herself a hero she had consequently found a way to master a little bit of control.

"Yeah… Anything exciting happen at the Parks, today, Mick?" Phoebe asked, trying to change the subject.

On the other end, Phoebe could hear something being knocked over.

"Yen Sid?" The girl called.

"About that…" Mickey answered, instead of the sorcerer. "The Blue Fairy's wand was stolen..."

Phoebe felt her phone slip form her grasp. Mickey, still on the phone, called out several 'hellos' to see if she was still listening, but Phoebe gave no reply.

The winged girl, flinched as she heard loud footsteps come up the stairs; her mother was coming. Phoebe looked to her window, and back to her phone as a plan started forming in her head.

Picking it up, Phoebe exclaimed, "I'll be right there."

The girl grabbed her adventuring back pack filled with her supplies and dagger, and opening the window, she jumped out.

When her mother entered the room all she found was the opened window with the curtain billowing out as a storm raged outside.

Several fat raindrops landed in the room, and Mrs. Palomera rushed to close it up. As she closed the window she found a sleek white little feather on the windowsill. The middle-aged woman gingerly picked it up, and finally noticed that her daughter was gone.

The mother quickly paced out of the room and down the stairs, she found her back door open and her other daughter was gone.

* * *

Tammy arrived back in Zelda's Aunt Polly's home, but there was no one around. Deeming that all her friends moved to the fort to make sure everything was in working order, the sunburned girl went outside and hurried on over to the nearest restrooms.

As she roamed Tom Sawyer's island, she was glad that nobody was around- despite it being almost noon. Usually a few tourists hung around, but ever since Inigo had placed his technical defenses, the guests were less likely to wander to this area anymore.

Entering the bathroom, Tammy looked down at her bloodstained hand and started scrubbing it until her hand was squeaky clean. The blood easily came off her skin, and soon she could see her pink skin. Giving her hand a once over look, Tammy smiled, satisfied that they were clean.

The girl smiled at her reflection, but as she did she felt a sharp pain in her back. Soon another surge of pain erupted but on another side of her back, Tammy doubled over in pain, and suddenly her shirt was ripped off as two things burst out of her back.

The girl froze in shock, and glancing at the mirror for the briefest second, the girl let loose a scream.

For right smack dab on her back was a pair of tawny wings.

"Ehhh, Phoebe I'm going to kill you." The girl groaned as she slowly found her vision going black.

And with it, symbolized the beginning of Magic's company.

* * *

 **A/N: The next chapter should be up by next week. I hope everyone's ready to say hello to Anthony again!**

 **As always fave and review.**


	13. It's about donkeys,sweatshops& Pinocchio

**I can fit more random things in a magically eclectic chapter than you since it's about donkeys and sweatshops and Pinocchio... did I mention magical? Like literally the most eclectic it can get.**

* * *

 ** _A/N: This is a two part chapter, expect the next chapter soon, I'm half way done. It was going to be all one chapter, but it just got so long so I split it in half. And this is an Anthony-centric chapter... Enjoy references galore..._**

 ** _Special thanks to Frenchy, Sassyprincesses, and my sister for giving me the name of this chapter_**

* * *

 _"Caras vemos, Corazones no los savemos." - Mexican Proverb that translates to:_

 _"Faces we can see, but hearts we do not know."_

* * *

Phoebe and Drew stood in the Disney Vault, flanked by Yen Sid, the Blue Fairy, and Mickey Mouse.

The sisters, had just arrived and were pretty tired, considering how it was already night time, and they had not rested since they left home. After entering the throne room, the girls had been frantically lead from Yen Sid's house, to the train station in front of the Magic Kingdom to sound the alarm for anyone who owns one of the keys to the kingdom, and finally to the Disney Vault, located in one of the towers of Cinderella Castle.

The state of the vault was awful with the giant hole in its side and little remnants of some kind of dried goop along with bits and pieces of rubble from the broken wall. Lots of items that had been put here were moved out to a 'classified' place in case the same perpetrator decided that the Crystal wasn't the only thing he/she needed.

And other things, indeed, were needed to power up the crystal- for there were six keys scattered across the Parks belonging to their respective lands that if all collected could take down the borders and successfully merge the real world with the world of fantasy. Yet it also meant that anyone could cross into the other 'lesser' realms as they were referred to, since they had limited technological and magical defenses, realms that were more susceptible to villains and their plans for total domination .

The investigation to find the crystal had been at a dead end for two weeks now, and with the problems Phoebe had been creating from the Sorcerer Hat incident, the case had been put on hold.

Yet with the Blue Fairy's wand now stolen, it seemed that finding the Crystal was the last thing on everyone's mind.

"So let me get this straight," Phoebe sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. "You got your wand stolen," she pointed to the Blue Fairy.

"Which is probably the most powerful wand in the Realms ranging from creating life to making wood into a human being, probably some other stuff that the movie never covered… And everyone is looking at me to try and find it when A: I've never used it and B: Don't you carry it around every day, Blue? and you don't watch it for like five seconds and poof?! and finally C: _We still have six keys to find."_

"Apprentice," Yen Sid spoke up. "You have a duty to protect all magic-users and wielders, and when it was a deliberate attack on one of our most powerful; it is up to you to do something about it."

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "I bet this doesn't apply to villains, hmm?"

Mickey chuckled awkwardly to himself. "I'm guessing Hades got to you?"

"He wasn't _wrong_ … And you know what for some reason he's been the most helpful villain I've met so far. Plus, Vanessa is such a jerk, but at least I haven't heard her voice in a while thanks to Jafar. But still, really? Erasing every ounce of what she did and turning her into a saint?"

The Blue Fairy sighed. "It was necessary, from the beginning of Disney; magic was always considered to be used for evil, but we wanted to spread that magic was meant to naturally be good when the next Magic would come, and consequentially, her image was cemented."

Phoebe thought about it for a moment, and she realized that in a word it helped her gain some friendship, though limited, to the princesses. "You guys really jacked with history didn't you?"

"History is written by the victors, and Vanessa's story is just another example," Yen Sid replied. "And that my dear is there greatest burden."

Drew looked around at the group and silently wondered why everyone sounded like they were a bunch of old guys.

Goofy cleared his throat and Phoebe, Yen Sid, Mickey, and the Blue Fairy turned around to see the Captain of the Guard escorting a small group of people.

Lilo and Stitch were the first to reach them, followed by Milo, then Elizabeth Swann, and lastly Tiana.

"Where are the rest of them?" Mickey asked, as he quizzically looked at each of the newcomers.

Elizabeth strode toward the Mouse and bluntly stated. "This _is_ everyone."

"But there are six keys not four. Where is Pinocchio and Tom Sawyer?" Yen Sid exclaimed. "And since when are you an owner of Adventureland's key, Mrs. Turner?"

Elizabeth's face remained impassive, "I never have been- Jack sent me to inform you that his key was stolen several months ago."

Mickey's eyes, along with the other magic-wielders and Drew gasped as one. "Wh-what do you mean?!"

The other key bearers looked at one another. "So was ours."

Phoebe mentally slapped herself. "You mean to tell me all of y'all's keys were stolen, but you never chose to say anything about it?"

Tiana crossed her arms, "Look, honey, mine wasn't stolen. It was safe in my possession until after I gave birth over a month ago, and right now was the only free chance I had between taking care of my newborn son and running my restaurant."

Drew clapped. "That is probably the best excuse you could have come up with… Wait, let me guess, Naveen lost the key?"

Everyone stared at her, but her sister shrugged.

"We were all thinking it," Phoebe admitted. That didn't seem to lessen everyone's gazes on poor Drew.

"What about you guys?" Mickey asked, turning to Lilo and Stitch. "Do you have Tomorrowland's key?"

Lilo was hesitant at first, but Stitch sympathetically nudged her arm, making her to speak. "We lost it, but we gained a new ship instead. It was like someone replaced the key with the keys to one of their spaceships."

Yen Sid nodded, "I'm noticing a trend, what about you, Master Thatch?"

The linguist shook his head. "Funny story, actually. I gave it to a friend."

"So it's safe?" Phoebe asked.

"Not exactly. Mr. Whitmore doesn't exactly remember where he hid it."

"Well isn't this just hunky-dory?" Phoebe snapped. Her patience was wearing thin; she just wanted to be over with this already. "We keep losing everything- the next thing it'll be our minds! Can't we get Basil of Baker Street to solve this? Or even Eddie Valiant? I'm sorry, but this is a lot of ground to cover: six keys, a Crystal and a wand; don't you think this is getting out of control?!"

"Pssh, not even mentioning how Tom Sawyer's island has been overrun by a bunch of hoodlums," Mickey muttered.

Phoebe and Drew shared a sideways glance. "What sort of hoodlums?" they said in unison.

"Oh, you know the ones who've been terrorizing the Parks. Some say that there is a small army at Tom Sawyer's Island, but they're all a bunch of kids-"

Phoebe hunched down to Mickey's face, interrupting him.

"You mean like the kids who were there the night of the Sorcerer's Hat incident at Hollywood Studios? The same kids carrying a soul stealing book that I may or may not have signed?!"

"Yeah, we got a file on them in the back, but we only found one lead on one of them because Cruella de Vil reported her about a year ago."

"Well, what's the lead?"

"A Preston B. Whitmore, from the world of Atlantis."

Milo gasped, "Whitmore?! What's he got to do with it?!"

"That's his granddaughter. We didn't find out they were related until Whitmore found one of her wanted posters hanging in her room, and he came to demand answers afterward… And to a lesser extent he wanted more posters."

"Crazy old coot," Drew muttered.

"Now I wouldn't say that…" Milo defended. "He's a big benefactor for any fundraising we do to help with the advancement of exploring new worlds or time streams that suddenly pop into existence. His industrial factories produce the best transportation for land, air, or sea. He was even the one to invent the power to cross into the worlds of Pixar, we didn't discover their existence until after Monster's Inc. came out."

Both Phoebe and Drew's faces were filled with surprise and shock.

"Wait…" Drew commented. "Why do y'all never mention Pixar? It's like there's a weird rift between Disney and Pixar."

Phoebe nudged Drew on her side, "It's because there is one."

Drew's face fell, "But it's Disney- Pixar, I mean. I thought they were one entity? "

"There is a big difference, Drew. Disney prefers Magic and Pixar prefers Dreams, and supposedly Mickey and Oswald had this huge fight back in the day when Walt died that-"

Mickey and Yen Sid were giving Phoebe the stink eye.

Phoebe awkwardly smiled, "Merlin thought it would be nice to teach me a history lesson or two. So," she said putting an innocent smile on her face. "Whitmore has the key? Maybe we should go and ask him about it? Or maybe look into Pinocchio and Tom Sawyer?"

"Phoebe, that is an excellent idea- I'm glad you volunteered," Yen Sid sneered.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "As if I had a choice."

"But it's midnight," Drew complained.

Mickey sighed, slapping his face as he felt his eyelids droop. "You can start tomorrow, and go to Gepetto's first. He might have some leads on the Blue Fairy's wand."

* * *

Anthony felt like hitting himself with a sledgehammer. Like literally, this was the story of his life.

Nothing was going right.

"What do you mean the keys were stolen before you even got to them?!"

Anthony, along with Cruella de Vil, Alameda Slim, Doctor Facilier, and King Candy all sat around the Library of Souls in the Underworld palace. Well except for King Candy who was actually just in Anthony's phone, like in Skype or something. His face flickered from Turbo to King Candy, but each time one could see his Cy-bug body.

And Anthony wasn't exactly in the room, either, he was wearing his father's helm. He wasn't in the mood to have Yellow Eyes possess him once more, so he opted out of the mask idea to just be invisible.

Cruella exhaled a puff of green smoke, and rolled her eyes. "Come now, _dahling,_ those keys have been in the spot light for some time- even your Master couldn't have seen this coming."

Anthony grabbed the cigarette pipe away from Cruella's mouth and threw it into one of the nearby fireplaces in the library. Cruella growled and lunged out at the boy, trying to pinpoint him, but Anthony moved out of the way in time.

"Actually he _did_. That's why he sent you guys about a month ago, before the crystal was stolen," Anthony said matter of factually.

The boy silently wondered why he wanted to prove to his dad that he could handle villainy, but at the same time he wanted to make him proud, and maybe organizing these villains could show Hades that he was ready to help on the search for his mother.

Alameda lifted one meaty hand and slammed the poor arm chair that he was sitting on. "Now look here, them bearers ain't nothing like any we ever seen. I thought killing off Sawyer would make the key easy to take, but he must'a hidden it away, or he gave it to someone else."

The Shadow Man nodded. "I sent along my shadows to find Jack Sparrow's key while he got drunk, but instead someone won his key during gambling night back at the Jungle Cruise's annual New Year's Eve bash, and I couldn't find that kid since."

King Candy laughed from Anthony's phone that was set on a chair. "I'm stuck in virtual reality. Now who wants some candy?"

The invisible boy was getting antsy. "Look guys, I'm only telling ya that you need to find the keys before Hades passes a brimstone and comes to send- I'm looking at you Doc- back to eternal damnation. A deal's a deal, and right now you guys are making me stress-eat."

Anthony pulled out a snow ball and started devouring the coconut encrusted chocolatey goodness.

"Look at what you've done to me!" In all seriousness, he was eating his breakfast, and he had the snowball in one of his pockets so he could eat it later since the villains he invited all showed up early.

King Candy's face glitched into Turbo's and back again. "Unless I'm crazy… We can't see you."

The villains could see a floating pink snowball being devoured out of the air, but with no one there.

"Well, obviously, none of you believed!" the boy spat, as he finished off his breakfast.

"But in all fairness, have you guys literally not figured it out that there are new bearers hidden on Tom Sawyer's Island? I mean come on, Tom had a _daughter;_ don't you think she is the one who started stealing the keys before you guys? I mean you guys could come up with the most _legit_ plan ever if you worked together, but _nooo_. You have to bother me! And get Hades' toga in a twist…"

Anthony took a huge breath; how did his dad do that without tiring himself out?

The assembled villains didn't know whether they should be relieved that he was giving them another chance or be terrified that whoever was talking seemed to be the epitome of Hades as a prima donna.

"By the way, did any of you even try to get Pinocchio's key? I mean Fantasyland's bearer is a literal eight-year-old, it can't be that hard to steal? And he lives with an old man who's probably blind without those glasses. What's their line of defense: a kitty-cat? Marionettes? A scawy goldfish?"

"I mean it's so freakin' easy I could do it myself."

Alameda, Dr. Facilier, Cruella, and King Candy's voices rang as one as they cackled with such wicked glee.

Cruella nearly fell out of her chair, and amid her fit of laughter she exclaimed, "You think villainy is easy? Then steal that key! But you never will because villains never win!"

Anthony paused. "Okay, I'll do it."

King Candy felt the invisible boy lift up his device and he curiously looked at the empty space. "Oh, come on kid, you've never even done anything that big."

"You don't even know me!"

The boy felt slightly offended, but in a burst of confidence, and may I add cockiness he threw his phone at Alameda's large belly and shouted, "That's it! You guys can keep laughing it up, but let it be known that Antonius Thanatos Hayden does not back down from a challenge!"

Proudly placing his hands on either side of the helmet, and ran to his bedroom, shouting, "Challenge accepted!"

The remaining villains looked at each other, "Hades chooses the strangest servants, doesn't he?"

* * *

"No chaperone today?" Drew asked as the two sisters disembarked from the monorail.

Phoebe slowly shook her head, she was tired. Last night she had trouble sleeping as she was haunted with dream of Vanessa swearing to repossess her body once she could enter her thoughts once again. The winged girl thought that maybe she would finally be free of the former Magic, but it seemed, the lady could enter via her dreams, but at least it was better than her constantly trying to strike a conversation with her.

"Nope... Looks like we're a hazard to other characters after what happened last time. Mushu was no help exaggerating how well the escapade went."

"I thought it went well- I mean we didn't die or anything."

"Why do you always compare to how things went whether we died or not?"

"Why not?"

"Sometimes I forget how much I hate you."

"Love you too..." Drew smirked. "By the way, why can't we go to the world of Pinocchio's at Magic Kingdom? I mean we were _just there_. Right next to his Pizzeria."

"Look, that entrance could only be opened by the Blue Fairy, and since she's wandless... Well... The only other entrance we can open is in EPCOT, Italy since over there the portals to the ten countries is home to several Realms- all kingdoms. They're open for anyone as long as they're ambassadors... And Elsa was kind enough to give us official Arendellian ambassadorship."

"Did you pay her?"

Phoebe sighed, this was going to be a long day.

* * *

To say he was on a sugar high would be completely correct. Darn King Candy and his candy gift baskets!

But anyway he was having a great day. He had after all, scared about eight people- seven of which were men, he would say eight, but the eighth was not a man, but there was no real difference by how ugly she looked. That darn woman and her broomstick... That was a really scary lady...

Crap, she's back.

Anthony scampered away as the round Italian woman chased him away from her open cellar, yelling obscene things of what she would do to him if she caught him once more. He rushed back out into the alley, thinking, Of course any other sane Italian would be scared to see a ghost or meeting Death, but not this lady... Of course.

But even then, things were going great- after all, "There's a great big beautiful tomorrooooow, shining at the end of every daaaaaaaaay!"

Anthony could not sing any louder as he was cornered into a dead end, and seeing no other escape, he resorted to climbing. It was an easy task, but still that lady was making such a ruckus that eventually some constables caught wind of.

The boy reached the roof, and quickly darted away. Thankfully the houses in the world of Pinocchio were all bunched together, and he didn't have to jump long distances to reach the next house. The only problem was the steep incline the roofs were fashioned in, but it was no problem, thanks to his many years of learning how to outrun Pain and Panic.

Although now that he was on the roofs, he could easily see the entire city from its many shops and see the port that shipped off the village's many goods, and see the high mountains that lay deeper inland. Yet this vantage point also helped him to run to his destination without getting caught, using all the chimneys to hide behind them or even the high vaulted roofs. He wished his dad would allow him to wear his helm again, but apparently he was ticked off that he had used it earlier without asking him.

Still, he had other ways to hide his identity, mainly using that cursed white mask which meant Yellow Eyes was tagging along, but he was chilling out today and mildly made his presence known in Anthony's eyes which explained the thin circle of gold around Anthony's blue eyes. He was making a neutral visit, and even allowed the boy to use his heightened vision, as could be seen when his pupils flashed from round to slitted.

His black cape, though, was not the best thing to wear, but Leota had insisted that it worked with Master Gracey's old clothes, and she had enchanted it to be fireproof after what happened with the last one. Convenient when it was cold though, but he did have a higher preference to heat. Still at least it was fireproof and he was entering a wood carver's house, this was probably a good decision thanks to his fire powers.

At least he had some nice leather shoes- funny how high society men actually had good shoes to run around in, and to a bigger extent... How did the medium find the clothes in his exact size... Wait, psychic... This makes sense now.

Nearing his intended destination, Anthony jumped onto the old wood carver's home and inspected the sides of the house, looking for an entry. He found one in a conveniently open window- actually this was more common in summer in Italy, which it was, but still it was a nice convenience, and he chose not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Taking a brief look into the house, he made note that the house was empty except for the cute little goldfish, named Cleo, and the thousands of little carved figurines that were spread out throughout the house. Each one was exceptionally carved and painted just as well, and even some of them could move. a sort of like Small World.

Guessing that Pinocchio must have been at school- meaning Jiminy was with him, and Gepetto might have stepped out for a bit, the house would be empty for a while.

But still did Pinocchio carry his key with him or what?

Not knowing how to determine this, Anthony no longer felt as if he was a threat to being seen and went searching across the small house. He found Gepetto's room, but determining that the former marionette wouldn't keep it in here, he moved on to what Anthony guessed as Pinocchio's room, thanks to the small bed and the few toys that were neatly tucked away in a chest in one corner.

The room was unusually neat- probably thanks to the boy's conscience; Anthony had no idea where to start.

He started with the bed, looking underneath the pillow and underneath the bed; finding nothing Anthony remade the bed and decided to search the closet.

Taking hold of the two little handles, the son of Hades pulled open the closet and only found the racks lined with the same clothing of lederhosen and hats, with little shoes lined along the edge of the closet.

"Wow, I was noooot expecting this." Anthony spoke out loud.

His voice cut through the silence of the room and suddenly another noise was made. He briefly saw a small little door in the back of the closet and before he could investigate it, he looked up to see a ball of black and white fur lunge out at him.

Anthony felt himself fall on him bum as the little kitten started scratching at his face, but thanks to the mask, he was safe from Figaro's sharp claws. Acting fast, he managed to peel the cat off his face by pulling on his scruff.

"Gotcha!" Anthony exclaimed, holding out the helpless cat in front of his face. The small feline crossed his arms in an adorable pout, earning an 'aw' from his captor.

"Well, I hate to tell you this... But I'm more of a dog person- plus, my dad hates cats. Do me a favor and leave me alone for like five minutes. I don't want to take a hostage"

The cat continued to glower at him, but even he could see a sign of defeat flash across his yellow eyes, so the boy cautiously set him down, and so he didn't complain, he took off one of his gloves and waved his hand and soon a little green plant erupted from the floorboards, catnip.

Anthony laughed as the cat's eyes widened in surprise and he stroked his head against his knee.

He scratched the cat behind the ears and headed back to the closet he inspected the little door he had seen earlier, he briefly opened it, thinking maybe it was an exit in case there was a fire, but it was actually a tunnel.

Intrigued, Anthony lightly stepped over the shoes and made his way into the secret entrance.

The boy felt right at home as he delved further into the earth, seeing as how he was used to living underground and how it was his dad's domain. Seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, Anthony found that the little passage was becoming smaller and he had to hunch down so he could fit, but eventually he stepped out into a place probably the same size as the entire house.

And there right in front of him stood all sorts of wooden machines being powered by dozens of little donkeys, many of which that still had some clothing on. The warden was a tall fox wearing a blue overcoat and a green top hat.

Anthony's eyes opened wide in astonishment and he felt himself turn back into the tunnel before Honest John could see him.

"Okay, this complicates things."

The boy turned as he saw Figaro lightly padded towards him. The cat looked from Anthony to the scene in front of him, his paw was in his mouth as he too shared the same expression as the boy had earlier.

But the cat shook off his surprise and scanned the room, he saw that the donkeys were attached to a large wheel and it seemed they were trying to power something, and on closer inspection they could see that that something was a trashcan.

"Damnit, this really complicates things."

* * *

Phoebe and Drew arrived at the back of EPCOT where the place where Italy was. The section was dotted with tourists as they crowded around shops that resembled a cathedral's architecture along with a large amount of reddish colors, while other tourists crowded around two large pillars that stood at the very front; one of which held a winged lion statue, and the other held the statue of a man pinning down a dragon with a spear and a large shield.

The winged girl led her way all the way to the back, past a stone platform in the middle of a courtyard and a large fountain of Neptune, god of the seas, stood to one corner.

"Is that it?" Drew asked as she ran towards the statue looking at the dolphins and the nearly naked statue that held a large trident

"No," Phoebe explained. "The Blue Fairy said stay away from this statue, she said something about it containing an entrance that some people have ventured in, but never came back.

"Ominous music plays," Drew whispers.

"But I just think it's another entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean. That can explain why people have never returned, too drunk to find their way back," Phoebe cynically added.

"Now come on, it should be over in that shop," she pointed directly across from them and the two skipped on over to the open back door of the shop.

Once in the shop the walls were lined with beautiful little masks, every face a different shade, from fool, and king, ghoul, and goose, green, and black, queen, and priest, trace of rouge, and face of beast. Each mask was different in its own regard, but one mask caught Phoebe's attention: a mask that looked like Pinocchio's face.

"Wow!" Drew gasped. "Can I get a mask?!"

Phoebe cocked an annoyed eyebrow. "No- we're late, Drew, we still need to find Whitmore today."

"But, what if we need to hide our identities-"

"That's the lamest excuse you can come up with," her sister snapped.

"Oh, come on, you used to want one all the time when we were little, and you're still little- like what four foot eight?"

Phoebe gasped in shame, "Four foot eight and a half! I grew a little."

Drew smirked, "A little?"

"Shut up."

Phoebe roughly took Drew's arm and led her through the secret portal hidden underneath the Pinocchio mask.

The world warped around them and soon the two of them found themselves in a quaint little village. Townspeople walked up and down the cobblestone streets, many of them adults, and they seemed to be ignorant to Phoebe and Drew's presence.

"It stinks," Phoebe said as she took a whiff of the air.

"Dude, I was going to say the same thing. Maybe the masks would have taken care of our sense of smell."

 _Great..._ Phoebe thought, _She's going to do everything she can to explain why getting a mask is beneficial to this quest._

"Do you have money Drew?"

Drew shrugged. "Maybe."

"Come on," her sister groaned. "Gepetto's house probably isn't far from here, and don't say anything about a mask again!"

Drew laughed. "Like you can stop me..."

Phoebe rolled her eyes and proceeded down the street, she briefly looked back to see Drew skip on after her. The two now walked side by side and they briefly heard side chatter from many of the townspeople.

"Did you see that black shadow?!"

"It must be an evil spirit-"

"Huh! He is a demon!"

"No, it is Death, himself!"

"I fear for the soul he comes to take with him."

The two sisters shared a glance. They looked on with the rest of the townspeople and barely made out a black shape running along the rooftops.

"Do you think the villains sent someone after the key as well?" Drew whispered to Phoebe.

"Maybe- we better hurry after it then before he takes the key."

The two broke into a run- with Drew leading the charge since she was the bigger and stronger of the two.

The sea of people broke apart as the two followed the black shadow, but very soon they could not see him anymore. Yet they could only assume it was going exactly where the two sisters needed to go.

Phoebe realized this very quickly and stopped abruptly. she turned around and started walking toward what looked to be a crowd of children being released from school.

Drew, happened to look back in time to see her sister approach a familiar old man with half-moon glasses, holding the hand of a little boy.

"Excuse me sir," Phoebe exclaimed stopping Gepetto in his tracks.

"Why, hello there young lady. How may I be of assistance?"

"Yeah- sorry... you're Gepetto, right? I'm Phoebe, and this is my sister Drew-" she pointed back at her sister who half-heartedly waved back at the two.

"Mickey Mouse sent us- well really me, about the Fantasyland key in your son's possession."

Pinocchio looked to his father and back at the girl. He was hesitant to find his voice but he felt the comforting hand of his father and the small nod he gave him, decreased his shyness.

Phoebe knelt down to the boy's eye level as the boy spoke.

"Well hi'yah! My name's Pinocchio, so what's wrong with my key?"

"Nothing- just look-" Her voice lowered and became an octave lower as she kneeled down to look the boy in his eyes.

"Lots of people- bad people are looking to take your key. Do you have it on you or anything because I think someone is here- right now, trying to take it!"

Pinocchio's eyes widened. "Why would anyone want to take my key?"

Drew rolled her eyes, Pinocchio was acting way too innocent for an eight year old, I don't care what that little cricket says to him.

Phoebe sighed, "Don't know... Something about the missing Crystal of the Magic Kingdom and how the keys are the only way to open the borders to every world including mine- which I already got a taste of with Jafar- and it was bad... Like I don't know how I can recover my love of school ever again- bad... So- do you like- have it around your neck or something?"

 _Wait a second. Where was that little cricket?_ Drew wondered.

She watched as Pinocchio reached into his pocket and he quickly tore his hand out. His other hand held the green book that had a very strange thin yellow stick sticking out.

"Oh, I'm sorry miss, but I-I left it at home... I'm sure you can come back another time."

Phoebe waved it off. "Please I'll just follow y'all home- if that's all right with you Gepetto?" The girl busted out, forgetting her manners.

Gepetto nodded his head. "Oh that sound lovely- no one ever seems to stop by anymore. I'll start up the kettle and make a nice tea-"

Drew watched as a strange emotion flew across Pinocchio's eyes, but it quickly went away.

"I don't think that's a good idea..." the former marionette muttered, but no one seemed to hear him, as Phoebe listened to Gepetto's bubbly talking. But Drew did.

Her eyes widened as realization hit her.

"Phoebe- he's got the wand!"

"What?" Phoebe's eyes darted to the little boy, but as quickly as her reaction took place, Pinocchio dropped his book and took out the wand studded with a star.

"Stand back!"

Simultaneously, Phoebe, Drew, and Pinocchio's father all shared the same shocked expression. Phoebe felt herself go back to her feet and plant herself in front of her sister.

Gepetto stammered, "My boy what are you-"

"Can it old man," The boy threatened pointing the wand at him.

Drew looked at the little boy in confusion. "Since when does he know modern lingo?"

"Pipe it down, hot stuff! And arms in the air!"

"Did you just call me hot stuff?!" Drew screamed, she raised her hands up regardless, and turned to Phoebe. "I told you getting a mask would be beneficial!"

Phoebe gave her a face that read: _Really, you bring this up now?!_ But she knew now wasn't the time for sass.

A plan started formulating in Phoebe's head, but she needed the kid distracted, but screw that she wanted answers.

"What are you gonna do with that wand, kid? Shoot us? Turn us to wood? Remember there are witnesses," the winged girl calmly quipped, looking around at the crowd that was forming around them.

"Shut up, I-I'll shoot if I have to."

Phoebe couldn't help a snort escape. "You wouldn't dare."

"That's it!"

"Pinocchio- NO," his father shouted as the boy released a spell. The beam of yellow magic was aimed straight at Phoebe, but the old man jumped in its path.

The winged girl's eyes widened, even Pinocchio's, as Gepetto turned into a white Persian cat. His clothes hung all around him and even his glasses hung on his little nose, as he released a pitiful meow.

"Father!... You!" Pinocchio roared at Phoebe.

The girl flinched at the boy's tone and immediately she resorted to plan B, and she quickly took off her jacket revealing her pearly wings.

"What'cha gonna do punk? I didn't turn my dad into a cat."

Pinocchio felt his face turn red in rage and he released another spell at Phoebe.

The girl staggered back in surprise, she felt her hand reach out to stop the blow and immediately the spell seeped into the palm of her skin, but nothing happened.

 _Osmosis magic..._ the voice of Yen Sid rang clearly in her head.

"What? What are you?" Pinocchio asked in wonderment. That spell should have turned her into a toad! Only a powerful wizard could do such a thing. Was this an agent of the Blue Fairy?

"Just Magic..." Phoebe replied, but internally she was screaming. _Did I just do that?! I didn't even know I could do that... Why didn't I do that with Jafar..._

 _"What did you say?"_ Pinocchio screamed, more out of shock and wonderment.

She ignored his question and her hands crackled with energy. "Set down your wand and nobody gets hurt."

Pinocchio's face flashed a defeated look, but his grip tightened at the wand and screamed as he released more and more spells, but not just at Phoebe, everywhere. He had no target, the beams were launched in every direction and Phoebe's wings defended Drew from any attack

The crowds around them immediately dispersed, the sounds of the screaming populace echoed all around Phoebe and Drew, but this seemed to be drowned out by the chaos the wand was creating.

People would only be stopped in their tracks because the spell would hit them and many turned into things that varied from plants to animals and one unfortunate soul found himself turned into a spoon, and his son a caterpillar. Some of the vending stands got up and literally walked away. A tomato and a cucumber started bouncing away singing something about squashes that can make you smile and waltzing with potatoes.

But that was nothing compared to the giant holes that littered many of the houses, so it seemed that the wand could create some destruction as well.

Phoebe knew now was the time to act and rushed toward the boy, she dodged the beams as he set them straight toward her. She managed to catch two of them, but the rest, she wasn't fast enough and had to duck out of the way.

She knew she wouldn't be too lucky like before, because now she was thinking, and each thought pressed down onto her as she felt herself reach for the dagger. Now that she was nearly two feet away from Pinocchio, she swung the blade down upon the Blue Fairy's wand in his hand.

A shockwave erupted form the contact of the wand and the dagger and subsequently Pinocchio and Phoebe were sent rocketing in opposite directions.

Drew rushed to Phoebe's side and helped her sister sit up.

"Get up- get up, we're about to be run over!"

Phoebe dizzily looked at her sister, "What are you talking about?"

"THAT!"

Phoebe's head swiveled towards the sound of an approaching stampede as dozens of donkeys raced down the little village, and right at the head was Honest John?!

"Oh," was the only thing Phoebe could stammer out as she felt her sister pick her up to her feet, she grabbed her fallen blade, and the two sisters started running away.

The donkeys didn't stop, despite the crowd that they were running through, all it did it seemed was make them run faster, as someone was shouting for them to continue their mad chase. The crowd soon saw this and ran into the nearest building to avoid the stampede.

Pinocchio shook off the little crickets that he saw in his vision, picked up the fallen wand and hid in an ally to let the donkeys pass through. He watched as the stampede vanished, with a very peculiar dressed person trailing behind them.

Meanwhile, Phoebe was very soon out of breath and looked to the skies, "Drew, remember that pixie dust Tink gave us?..." she panted. "Might be a good time for you... to use it."

"I can't think of anything happy to think about right now!"Drew squealed as a donkey charged ahead and bit her heel.

"You'll be weightless- it's like an anti-gravity potion, I'll help you!" Phoebe extended out her wings and felt herself jump into the air.

Drew nodded and grabbed the little pouch from around her neck and sprinkled some pixie dust onto her. As soon as she did, Phoebe grabbed her outstretched hands and flew her up.

"What do we do now?" Drew shouted, the air becoming hard for Phoebe to hear her.

"Find, Pinocchio- that skunk bag stole Blue's wand, and we have to get it back before we find out any of the other things he's done."

"Hey, Phoebe?"

"Yeah?"

"You wouldn't have to carry me if you'd given me a mask- cuz then I would have happy thoughts."

* * *

 **Five minutes earlier**

Figaro gazed once more at the masked boy. He seemed like a nice boy, he certainly wasn't a bad person- he had given him catnip after all, but why was he really here. Must have been Jiminy Cricket , one other person had come looking for him- funny man with a straw hat and overalls, but he had quickly been turned away by Gepetto.

Maybe it was the key? It was given to Pinocchio right after he became a real boy. Speaking of the boy, why was he always gone? He knew about school, but still, even at night?

But no matter, Figaro had to help this boy. He was nice enough to give him some glorious smelling plants, yet why did it seem like his original intent had vanished from his state of mind.

"Come here, kitty-cat," the boy whispered as he crouched down.

Figaro complied and padded over to his outstretched hand, receiving a quick little scratch behind the ears, and even allowed for the boy to pick him up. Anthony set the cat on his shoulders and stared back at the poor little children-donkeys pushing the heavy loads to power a machine.

"Always knew there were sweat shops in Disney, just didn't know it was here... now little kitty, I hope you can hold on, cuz I'm about to blow a bunch of crap up."

The cat gave a little gasp, he bounced his head up and down in agreement. He then unsheathed his claws and dug them into Anthony's shoulder.

The boy flinched and let loose a loud, OW!

"Why did you do that?!"

Figaro's face seemed to say, _Because you asked me to_.

Anthony chose to ignore his face and instead grabbed him once again and stuffed him down his shirt. Figaro peeped over his collar, and set his paws there to give him some more space.

"There you fluffy little monster- I hope you enjoy the ride," the boy smirked.

The cat didn't really complain, he found Anthony to be very warm and he like how he could mess with the boy's thin bowtie if he got bored- which he did almost immediately.

The boy bopped him on the head, signaling for him to stop, but Figaro continued because he knew Anthony was too distracted formulating a plan to actually do something other than his earlier warning.

"Okay, what are donkeys afraid of? Heavy burdens? Whips? People beating them and calling them piñatas?- No too Shrek... Iron poker that's been in the fire?- Wait...I can work with that..."

Anthony searched his various pockets and only found a few pocket knives. He suddenly remembered that he lost his spear back in the Vault... Now what could he use to get them loose?

"Well there's always my way..."

Anthony stepped entirely into the underground room and whistled very loudly to announce his presence.

Honest John and the sixty donkeys all turned their head to him.

"And who on earth are you?" called out the large fox. He stopped his whipping, and approached the boy. "Don't move," he warned. "I don't want to explain why there's a dead man in here to my boss."

The boy couldn't help but laugh. "Please, I'm like fifteen- and you know what I was just going to tell you that."

"Tell me what?" John spat.

The grin on Anthony's face grew. "Oh, you know- Don't move!"

The boy removed his remaining glove and placed them calmly into his pockets. He clapped his hands together and immediately a torrent of flames erupted from his hands.

The donkeys that were tied up to their machine were spurred enough by the fire to break free, their fear of the flames was much more than their fear of the whip.

Honest John flicked his whips trying to spur the donkeys away from the entrance Anthony had just come from, and like a coward the fox fled; closing the door behind him. Very soon the heat became unbearable and the donkeys started pawing at the only entrance as the flames raced toward them, but Anthony didn't seem to mind as he was in the middle of the fire he created.

Yet he knew that they had to escape as well, so thinking fast, Anthony stomped his foot and immediately the earth obeyed the boy and made a tunnel open up to the surface.

"Everybody get outta here- the building's about to collapse!"

The donkey boys didn't need any more encouragement and ran to the surface- finally escaping their literal hell. Out they raced, turning into a stampede that made townspeople scurry away from their way. Anthony ran behind them, trying to give them an extra reason to run all the faster.

Maybe, just maybe, the stampede could help him find Pinocchio. And man, he was gonna teach that kid a lesson- with a broom!

But as he looked to the sky, he saw a very familiar girl flying with large angels wings on the rooftops.

You know, maybe he didn't have to anymore.

* * *

 **A/N: My only regret was making Elizabeth's role so minimal, but I'm not gonna focus on her for a long time.**

 **And yes it was Pinocchio all along, if any of you guys scrolled to the bottom without reading the chapter, *slow clap.***

 **Anyway, to make this chapter into two parts, I had to move some things around and I slightly decreased Anthony's role in this chap, but the next one... yeah, I torture him so much. But it's fun.**

 **Big thanks to S Danyal Allen for reviewing!**

 **And as always fave and review!**

 **Angel of H-d out!**


	14. Big Trouble in Little Italy

**Big Trouble in Little Italy**

* * *

 **I feel like Anthony's relationship with Yellow Eyes is Bohemian Rhapsody, but make that what you will... Explains the quote of this chapter. Anyway this chapter was really fun to write. The name of the chapter is thanks to a friend of mine.**

* * *

 _ **Mama, ooo**_  
 _Didn't mean to make you cry_  
 _If I'm not back again this time tomorrow_  
 _Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters_

 _Too late, my time has come_  
 _Sends shivers down my spine_  
 _Body's aching all the time_  
 _Goodbye everybody I've got to go_  
 _Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth_  
 _Mama, ooo (anyway the wind blows)_  
 _I don't want to die_  
 _I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all_

* * *

 _ **Thirteen Years Earlier**_

"Hello, my name is Persephone, goddess of-"

"The underworld, innocence, and fertility," Tadashi finished. "I kind of figured, I was a big Greek Mythology buff back in the day."

Persephone eyed the boy curiously. "You're Hephaestus's son aren't you?"

Tadashi shrugged. "Gods never acknowledge their kids any more. It doesn't matter who my parents are or aren't, all I know is that he was there until mom died- when he faked his death. I never knew I was a demigod until my Aunt Cass, told me about my godly parentage."

Persephone nodded her head in understanding. "I can identify with that. My father never acknowledged me either, not until... Well... when I got married."

Changing the subject, the goddess tightened her hold on her son. "Thank you so much for helping my son through this, I'm just sorry that you had to be his first."

Tadashi waved off her comment. "Look, I don't fear death, miss, I don't think anyone should. It's just... Huh, I'm scared for the people I left behind, like my brother, and my Aunt... I should have never run in that place."

Persephone inched towards the young spirit, and lightly touched his shoulder; her hand did not pass through, surprisingly.

"Hush, now. Never ever, question what your heart tells you. Your sacrifice will be greatly rewarded; my husband will be more than happy to get you a one-way ticket to Elysian. You deserve it after all, and that's not even mentioning how you helped my son through his first calling. But since I've taken a liking to you, I'm going to give you a final request and one other option."

"A request?! I'm guessing I can't go back to being alive, huh?"

Persephone shook her head. "Your body's been too deeply damaged, and the rules of magic in your world prevent anyone coming back from the dead. And since Anthony cut you with his dagger- there is no going back."

Tadashi sighed. "I figured... But what kind of request do you have for me?"

Persephone smiled sweetly as her gaze turned to the sleeping toddler in her arms. "I ask for you to watch over my only son."

"Miss, I couldn't even raise my brother-"

"And that is exactly what my son needs: a brother. Can you- may you... Help guide him when I can't be there? I know how boys are as they get older- my own husband never really listens to my suggestions until I yell at him or I throw the 'I am your wife' card, and maybe you could knock some sense into my little boy. Call it mother's intuition or talking to the Fates too much, but I know what his father's been planning and the only thing the Fates have told me is his destiny is with him struggling between good and evil... And I want him to do what is right, not what everyone tells him..."

"And in return for your services-" Persephone continued, noticing Tadashi's look as was about to speak.

"You can drop in to see your brother whenever he desperately needs you. If you wish, I can even give you some powers of possession so that you can take over that little robot you were constructing. You won't be a poltergeist, just the minimal powers of a ghost."

Tadashi's jaw dropped in shock. "Are you like the goddess of generosity or something?"

Persephone giggled, a sweet blend of ringing bells and a tiny snort. "Oh, please, my mother thinks I'm crazy-"

"Crazy generous," Tadashi interrupted, causing a smile to once again grace the goddess's lips.

"Mr. Hamada, I'm only doing what any mother would do- what any sane parent would do. I know I'm asking a lot out of you, but once he doesn't need you anymore- you will be given the choice of reincarnation or the Isles of the Blessed."

The young shade stared dumfounded at the pink-skinned goddess, "When can I start?"

* * *

During her flight, Phoebe started piecing things together in her mind. First of all Pinocchio was behind everything. He stole the crystal somehow, and the Blue Fairy's wand- probably slipped by her whenever she came to check on how well Pinocchio was behaving since she was his godmother.

But still, why would he suddenly go all crazy? It was so weird- he's a good guy. He looked like he was eight, so how could he go around the bend with Jiminy and Gepetto constantly supervising him? Sure Gepetto was an aging old man, but where was Jiminy?

She didn't have long to organize this as Drew warned her that the donkeys had reached the sea.

They all crowded around a dock that stretched into the sea, and Phoebe landed down next to them, first setting down Drew.

"Dude, some of them are wearing clothes. Do you think they were human?"

Phoebe frowned, she was right, but why would Pinocchio need to kidnap children and turn them into donkeys? He was one himself a long time ago, so how could he wish the same fate on even more people?

"Hello- can y'all speak, still?" Phoebe knelt down beside a particular one wearing a green lederhosen.

"Hee-haw, hee-haw!"

Phoebe frowned, "I'll take that as a 'no.' "

"Wait, I can spea- hee-haw!" one of them spoke from Drew's left.

"Whoa... you okay?" Drew asked, scratching him behind his long grey ears.

"No- please you have to help us. Hee-haw! He's looking for a child- Hee-haw, Hee-haw. One who can make Hee-haw, Hee-haw. Wishes!"

Phoebe kneeled down in front of the former boy, and she gently held the donkey's head between her hands, trying to calm him down. "Why does he want a wish? How can a person make wishes- is he a genie?"

"No! Spark- Hee-haw, hee-haw A child can make a wish with Hee-haw, hee-haw!"

"With what?" Phoebe shouted.

"Hee-haw, hee- _haw_!"

"He's gone," Phoebe's voice trembled.

Drew patted the poor donkey-boy, and any other donkey that she was standing next to. All of them needed some form of comforting, they were probably taken from their homes and sent into slavery, and now they were little more than farmyard animals.

"Hey, we'll get the wand and maybe we can turn them back."

Phoebe's head shot up. "Wait- where did Pinocchio and that fox go?"

"I don't kn-"

Drew didn't have to answer that question as the little pale boy ran towards them. The donkeys around them started braying loudly as he approached, but their braying got louder as a large shadow blocked the sun.

Phoebe and Drew turned around expecting a seagull that happened to be flying in front of the sun, but nope. A giant creature had arisen from the depths of the sea, it' huge body was black and blue with a grey underbelly, but that was nothing compared to its gigantic blood red eyes.

"Holy Moby Dick..." Phoebe swore under her breath.

"Uh-huh," her sister breathed out.

The both of them had blanched and seemed to ignore as Pinocchio ran to the edge of the dock. The little boy raised his hands in the air, showing off the wand he held in his right hand.

"I'M RIGHT HERE!"

Phoebe managed to snap out of her initial fear as Monstro opened up his great mouth, showing off his row of teeth, one tooth easily the size of a two-story house; and the girl realized what he was about to do.

"EVERYONE RUN!" she shouted to all the donkeys, but none of them seemed to realize or care what she said, too transfixed on the whale.

"Listen to me! God I wish I had- Wait- IDEA!"

Then taking a jump into the air Phoebe soared in front of Monstro, and she put herself a good ten feet of distance.

Phoebe gripped the dagger in her hand, then back at Monstro, but she stared directly into his malevolent eyes.

"Hey, Drew, take it."

"Don't you need it?" Her sister inquired, her hand froze as she touched the cold grip, almost hesitant to touch it.

Phoebe shook her head. "I just can't, okay? Don't make a big fuss about it. All it takes is one scratch and something dies, I don't want to risk it if there is another way to stop him."

Extending out her arms, Phoebe concentrated all her energy on the whale, and very lightly a blue aura started surrounding him. Her telekinesis was truly the one part of her powers that she had mastered, and she chose to expedite it at this moment.

 _Come on, move back, move back_ , the girl screamed in her hand, trying to suede the beast to leave, but he pushed against her magic, and steadily he moved forward.

A burst of urgency erupted in Phoebe's magic and slowly the whale started moving back. Foot by foot increased to a yard and very soon he was pushed back ten yards. Phoebe moved with him and now flew over the navy sea.

Pinocchio gasped, "How can she do that?!"

Drew gazed at Pinocchio and realized he was still there, so acting fast she ran up to the boy and tackled him.

"Give me that wand!" Drew yelled, pinning the boy down by placing a firm hand on his neck.

"Let me go!" Pinocchio squirmed under her hold, trying to knock the girl off of him but she was so much bigger than him. Drew reached for his wand but he elbowed her hard in her breasts.

"Ow! You little shat." Drew screamed in pain letting go for the briefest second. That second he used to fire a spell at Phoebe.

"No! Phoebe look out!" came Drew's scream, but by the time Phoebe heard her, it was too late.

The winged girl made out a yellow beam from the corner of her eye, but her reaction time was slowed down because her energy level was depleting, and something like a shock of lightning entered the girl. Her hold on the whale wavered and disappeared altogether. Phoebe felt her vision go dark as she felt the pain of the blast in her back causing her to fall fifty feet into the sea below.

The embrace of water caught her fall, but Phoebe felt her breath get knocked out as she continued to sink into the sea, but the water caused her to wake up. She briefly opened her eyes to see the light around her fading, a couple of fish swam up to her and seemed to brush against her wings, for they had never seen a bird in their domain before.

Soon a whole school of fish were rubbing against her. Phoebe was confused, even in her dazed state. Why would these fish be around if Monstro was around? Usually every sea creature ran away as soon as he appeared.

Her thoughts started to fade away though as her lungs started burning from lack of air. She tried to swim up, using her wings as an extra boost, but her right wing was pulsating with pain, and some blood started escaping. Phoebe lightly placed her finger in the golf ball-sized hole right underneath her right wing. Some of her muscles were badly damaged in that area and she guessed that that was where the majority of her pain was located.

She tried to swim upward again, this time only using her left wing, but the lack of air was killing her and Phoebe couldn't help but release the last of her breath.

The last thing she felt was the water seep into her skin, and even in the hole that was probably in her back, and for some reason the feeling of a couple dozen little slimy something's bringing her up to the surface.

* * *

Drew could only watch in her horror to see her sister fall and hit the sea. Monstro was released from his hold and came barreling toward the dock once more.

But Drew didn't care as she continued to shout her sister's name.

She then turned to the little eight year old boy who was starting to stand, but as he was getting ready to run, Drew landed him a very nice right hook on his cheek.

Pinocchio was sent sailing through the air until he fell five feet away. The boy managed to sit up, his head was rolling and he felt blood in his mouth. He spat out the blood and was surprised to see two teeth come out with it.

At that moment, Monstro stopped suddenly in the water, he felt every murderous instinct in him die, and for that matter- he felt like someone immobilized him.

"You little freaking bastard, why the heck did you do that?!" She neared him and was about to kick him in the side, but someone had appeared beside her.

"Now, now, now," Anthony lightly reprimanded, with a hint of laughter in his tone. "I would say nearly killing him can constitute as child abuse."

Drew gave him a very good impression of Phoebe's stink eye. "He deserved it..." She turned around to face him and found that the person was wearing a white porcelain mask.

"How the heck do you get a mask and not me?!"

Anthony ignored her question and simply replied: "Have a cat," and withdrew Figaro from his shirt and roughly handed him to the girl.

Drew slightly calmed down, as she stroked the cat, losing the murderous look in her eyes. She watched as the masked man inspected the giant whale that had shut his mouth and made eye contact with him.

Sometimes Anthony wished he could speak with animals, only the ones that already talked, but being able to speak this giant beast, wow... That would be great.

"Where's your sister?"

Drew's eyes were starting to rim with red. "Probably dead."

Anthony rolled his eyes. "I know when somebody dies, don't pull that lip with me."

"She fell into the sea."

"Hmm... Maybe she is dead," the boy mused. His tone was completely calm, and not at all bothered by the notion of Phoebe's death. It was almost scary, because it was as if he had given this speech before.

"What?!"

"It's the ocean... We kind of hate each other, very possessive too. Let's people's soul be trapped in the corpses and stuff, that's why the Flying Dutchman is so important- trying to send people on, but then Calypso banged everything up with her squid BF, but yeah... That evil sea..."

An awkward silence ensued. "Well, I have got to go... Say hi to your sister- you know if she survived."

"But she could be dead or injured!"

"Oh yeah, I have an idea, now." Anthony kneeled next to Pinocchio and grabbed the Blue Fairy's wand from his hand, only for him to drop it as if it burned him- but to him it felt like an electric shock.

"Ow... the heck?"

Trying again he felt the same shock.

"Crap, I guess the wand which createth life, cannot-eth coincide-eth with Death," grumbled Anthony in a cynical poetic manner.

He then proceeded to grab Drew's hand to try and pick up the wand, but once it touched Drew's hand she too felt the same shock.

"What were you doing, blondie?"

"Testing something- Wait did you call me blonde?!"

"Uh, yeah, your hair is currently changing to blonde."

"Well that escalated quickly..." Anthony put a strand of his hair in his view and saw that his previous black locks were starting to change to a light blonde.

"Would you consider the season here to be Spring or possibly summer?" Anthony asked suddenly.

"Yeah, why?" Drew answered, looking around at the bright sunny day. She almost forgot that back at home it was winter- hence why she was wearing a neon green jacket and long blue jeans.

"No reason," Anthony mused as his gaze shifted to see Pinocchio standing up and starting to run away, but the older boy grabbed the back of his collar before he could escape.

"Hey, Pine Tree-"

"It's Pinocchio," the boy snapped, and the masked man let him go, but he didn't try to run this time.

Anthony frowned, "Sorry, slip of the tongue..." he muttered feeling the gold in his eyes starting to increase, and his pupils shifted from their normal circular shape to slitted.

"Do you mind shooting a little Life spell at the sea for old time's sake? It seems like you're the only one of us who can use that little wand... And I'll give you a thirty second head start to try and run away."

Pinocchio warily eyed Anthony. He was a rather eccentric man or boy, whatever he was. "Make it a minute and you got a deal."

Anthony shrugged, "Seems fair," and shook his outstretched hand and blue flames erupted from their clasped hands.

Drew watched the two separate, killing the blue flames.

"What are you?" she questioned, a strange shiver running up her spine.

Anthony smirked, "My father's son."

* * *

Phoebe felt the fish that were pushing her to the surface of the water suddenly stop. Of course she was out cold, but something hit her, and warmth started to spread throughout her entire body.

The urge to breathe was gone as she felt her mouth open and she took gulps of water, but the water didn't go down into her stomach, it instead flowed out of the sides of her torso.

Phoebe reached out to touch her sides and found what looked like gills.

 _"Dude, I can breathe under water!"_

She then reached for the place where Pinocchio shot her and found that the hole was now closed, probably covered by a scar, and as she looked around at her body Phoebe started to realize something else entirely.

"Why am I a fish?"

Her entire body had turned into a small little fish, her scales flashed green and blue as the rays of the sun shifted around her, she even had a thin tail that looked like a billowing curtain. What's more she had tiny little wings on the sides of her fin too, but they didn't have feather anymore. It was like she was a flying fish...

"Well isn't this peachy?!" she shouted, but out of her mouth came out little bubbles of frustration.

 _Even my screaming is adorable... Can I do magic though?_ she thought.

She moved her small little hands- no fins, and concentrated creating a spark, but nothing happened.

"Oh, come on!" she extended her tiny fins out in an exaggerated manner, and suddenly a current of water moved some fish that were nearby her, thirty yards away.

Phoebe looked back at her fins and tried the action again, and the same fish were pushed back even farther.

"That'll work," she said, feeling the wakes forming as Monstro started to move again.

 _Oh, what perfect timing..._

She wished she could have seen her fish face turn into a wicked little smirk, but now was not the time to count her curses.

* * *

Anthony allowed Pinocchio to grab the wand and he shot a yellow beam at the sea, but as soon as it touched the sea the beam turned into a turquoise color.

Anthony nodded at the boy. "You got one minute." He smirked, pointing to his wrist. "Better start running."

"Oh, I don't plan to run just yet," the boy huffed, blood still trickling down from his mouth.

"I got one minute, right? and you won't hurt me or touch me, right?"

"Yep, just tell me when," Anthony warned. "I give you my honor as a Spaniard- no, on my mother's grave- no, she's not dead... Look, I'll just give you my word as a gentlemen, okay? "

Drew looked between the two and lifted her hand and said, "I didn't promise anyth-"

"Shh- you got a cat," Anthony argued, putting a finger to her lips.

Pinocchio lifted the wand once more and pointed it at Monstro, and almost immediately the beast's red eyes once again sparkled with malice.

"Monstro! Attack!" The little boy shouted, his voice was different in how it fluctuated from young to old and back again, but however he sounded like, there was no mistaking the amount of rage behind his tone.

The beast opened the abyss, called his mouth, and let loose a low sound that could be best described as a roar for a whale and sprang forward.

Pinocchio tipped his yellow hat at the masked man, Phoebe's sister and the cat in her hands. He then made a clicking sound with his tongue and ran towards the awaiting coach that just pulled up, with all the donkeys trailing behind him.

Now on the matter of appearances, Anthony's face displayed horror if not shock, Figaro started coughing because he had a hairball coming on, and Drew, on the other hand, smiled in satisfaction, if not a little relieved that her gut feeling was correct.

Drew shot daggers at Anthony, "Can we kill him now?"

The masked man groaned. "Not in public, and please leave death to the professionals," he muttered as he watched his clock tick down.

Drew felt the dock underneath her shake, she suddenly realized that Monstro was coming back.

"Hey lone ranger, we got to move!" she yelled, squeezing Figaro to her chest.

"Twenty seconds... Nineteen seconds..." he counted, not even paying attention to Drew's warnings.

Drew sighed, she couldn't let this stooge die out here, so she grabbed his arm and turned to run, but instead of running, she found that she could not get him to move. She yanked again with much more urgency as Monstro's huge head covered the sun, but still not even an inch!

Anthony refused to pay attention to Drew's screams, or really anything, just his watch.

"Fifteen seconds..." Monstro's mouth opened wide as he prepared to swallow them whole, the girl could now see all the way back to his uvula.

"OH, COME ON! Just move already!" Drew tried unsuccessfully once more, the dock was starting to sway as the first few boards were hit by Monstro's teeth.

By now it was too late to outrun him, as his upper jaw blocked what was left of the sky from Drew's view, and on impulse the girl found herself hugging the masked boy. Figaro felt himself being crushed as he was put in the middle of their bodies.

"I hate you so much..."

But suddenly it was as if a giant vacuum cleaner had appeared in the sea, and the water started pushing Monstro back.

A little blue fish popped her head out of the water and lifted her tiny fins as if she was directing the water. Then like a conductor to his ensemble she flicked her fins like they would to signal the end of a piece of music, and just like that, waves started forming around the great Monstro, pushing him farther and farther out to sea.

He roared that same low octave roar, but he was helpless against the powerful waves of the ocean as they seemed to grow in intensity. They never ceased until they pushed him all the way to where all one could see was the tiniest black speck on the horizon.

"One second... Zero! Okay ready or not, here I come!" Anthony singsonged, and without even realizing that Monstro was gone, or even acknowledging Drew and the hug that she gave him, he easily escaped from her embrace and sprinted away.

Figaro plopped to the ground, but thankfully since he is a cat he managed to land on his paws.

"Boys," Drew sighed. The cat didn't seem to mind though and he looked out into the ocean, expecting for Drew to realize that her sister was still out there.

Taking the hint, she approached the end of the dock and started calling for her sister. "Phoebe! I'm okay! You know if you're wondering... Phoebe!"

The little blue fish swam toward the dock and started jumping into the air, using her new wings to fly before she fell back into the sea, trying to catch Drew's attention.

"I'm right here!" splash, "Drew, right" splash, "here!"

Drew cocked her eyebrow in surprise seeing the little fish talk and fly.

Hey that sounds like... Oh.

"Phoebe!" her sister exclaimed putting her hands out to the sea, and caught her sister in one fell swoop.

Drew burst out laughing once she saw Phoebe's new look.

"So, you remember that one time when we went to a seafood restaurant and everybody but me ate fish, and I got the chicken nuggets shaped like fish?" Drew asked. "Well here is a good reason of why we shouldn't eat fish, I don't know what type of fish you are, and I need to know what I'm eating so..."

"The lesson here today is?... Phoebe, do you mind telling me?"

Phoebe glared at her sister, "Fish are friends..."

"And?" Drew cheekily inquired while moving her eyebrows suggestively.

"Not food- now get me a bowl!" Phoebe flopped around Drew's hand, "Can't breathe here!"

"You seemed to be fine a while ago," Drew mumbled and ran to the nearest store and grabbed a little flower pot, which she paid for by flashing her the Arendellian ambassador tag, and placed her sister into it after filling it with water.

"What do we do now? Drew inquired, gazing down at her sister's big fish eyes.

Phoebe sighed, "Go to Yen Sid to reverse the spell, or someone else who won't, you know... scold me or something, and probably for all those other people who were turned into animals..."

"Can't you do that?"

The former human laughed. "I'm a fish! How can you possibly think I can do anything?! And get that cat away from me, he's been staring at me like you do with chicken nuggets."

Drew patted her sister's head, as if she would a little newborn puppy. "Oh you... The cat's the least of your worries."

"Actually, she's right."

Phoebe peaked out of her little flower pot to see a Jungle Cruise ship sailing into the small port. On board you could see Elise, Lauren, and a dark skinned boy wearing a strange alien suit.

Phoebe groaned, "Not these guys again..."

Inigo looked to the thin brunette as she started to twirl her parasol impatiently. "Um, Elise... Which one is Phoebe?"

Lauren smirked, "It's that little fish," she pointed at Phoebe with a rather sharp looking blade, and then she continued twirling it around her fingers as if it was a normal habit like biting your nails.

Elise pouted, "Well, she certainly has raised her standards, appearance wise."

"I can hear you!" the little fish fumed.

"Phoebe, I am shocked someone hasn't told you sooner," Elise bluntly shot back.

"Savage!" Lauren chimed, giving her friend a high-five.

Elise rolled her eyes and returned the gesture, "I wasn't even trying."

Phoebe's little lips thinned. _Why was it always them? why can't I meet nice people?_

"Drew when I say run, I want you to throw the cat at them _and then_ run."

Inigo nervously laughed. "Um, I'm very sorry about my friend's behavior. We only came here since the book you signed started flashing..."

Phoebe flashed the best fake smile she could. "That's nice. Well... No trouble here you can leave us be now. Sure, I'm a fish, but everything's peachy keen, hunky-dory. I assure you..."

"But we can offer you a ride to our home base and-"

Meanwhile, Lauren and Elise barely looked at each other, but they were already planning to kidnap the two sisters.

"They're already planning to run," Elise commented.

"Do you think we should warn them that we know?"

"No, I want them to suffer a little bit more. Zelda didn't say on what condition to bring them in."

"Alright, so the Singapore special?"

"And a Scottish twist please, used sparingly. I need to restock soon."

"Kay."

Then putting a bamboo stick to her mouth, the next thing Drew knew was that she had a dart sticking out of her shoulder, and Phoebe was flopping around on the deck screaming her sister's name.

Inigo and Lauren disembarked, the skipper grabbed Drew's legs and dragged her onto her ship, and as Inigo bent down to pick up the little fish, Phoebe was screaming bloody murder and very suddenly the water in the sea reacted to her and shot itself at Inigo and then at Lauren. Two arms reached out for them and started to try and hit them, but Lauren managed to rise to her feet and tried to cut the waves before they could strike her and Inigo.

The fish then felt a stream of water picking her up and pulling her back into the sea, back into her element.

Elise held on for dear life as the boat was heavily rocked back and forth by the waves. She spotted Lauren's bamboo stick and started chasing after it as it rolled across the deck; it was like watching a drunk man trying to bend down to grab his car keys, the way her body swayed to and fro, trying all her might to not fall off the boat.

Inigo, meanwhile, reached for the little laser gun on his side and switched it to stun mode, and aimed it at the sea, hopefully the blasts would be enough to incapacitate Phoebe.

"Inigo, what the bloody hell are you thinking!? You're going to kill her like that, she's a fish!" Lauren yelled.

"I know, just trust me!"

Phoebe lifted her fins up, seeing Inigo's gun pointed at her and suddenly the ocean started drawing back like it once did for Moses and the Red Sea. Elise rolled across the small deck as the boat was now on a foundation of sand with the water gone.

But with her balance back, the sophisticated girl scampered towards the bamboo stick and placing it firmly on her lips, she silently prayed that the dart would reach its mark. So taking a puff of air to rival the Big Bad Wolf, Elise released the dart and it struck home, right in Phoebe's open mouth.

The fish started choking, and almost immediately the sea around her felt weightless as her body started elongating and she turned back into her human self, her wings though were the first thing to form again, and the sea reared back and spat her out, leveling back to its original state.

Phoebe kept coughing until the dart was vomited out. She felt so awful with her clothes hanging around her cold body and really the only thing that the winged girl was thankful for was that she was wearing clothes.

Lauren ran to her put her coat over her to try and warm her up, revealing the girl's black blouse underneath.

"Breathe now- it's okay, your safe, your alive. I think enough people died today."

"What?! Oh my God, you killed Drew!" Phoebe screamed, her head jerking up and the sparks started forming around her fingertips.

Inigo flinched and without thinking he aimed the gun and shot Phoebe. The last thing the winged girl felt was her head hit the wooden deck before she passed out once again.

"Inigo?! What did we say?" Lauren screamed.

"Bring her back alive! More or less!" screamed Elise.

"W-well I'm sorry, she was about to kill us!"

"How are we going to help Tammy now?!" Lauren added.

Inigo sucked in a heavy breath. "She's just knocked out; the blaster was set to stun. Gosh! Your acting like I killed her."

"Fried her brain," Elise muttered.

"Well at least I didn't choke her! Really in the mouth?!"

"Well at least it turned her human! What did your laser do?" Elise crossed her arms and put her face in an almost pouty-like face that seemed childish for her age.

Inigo remained silent for a second, "You know what, let's just go home…"

Elise slowly nodded her head. "A wise decision from the boy who just killed any information we had about the last key. See, Lauren? I told you we shouldn't have brought him."

" _We_ brought him because you, missy, couldn't read a map. Now shut your trap Lis, and sit in your corner; and you, Inigo, gain some backbone and stand up for yourself! Geez, I am not your mother you two!"

"Oh and wrap up Phoebe, I don't want her catching a cold with those wet clothes. Elise blankets, Inigo get your thermal heater, and somebody feed that cat!"

Elise squealed in delight, "There's a cat!?"

* * *

Many people were known to underestimate Anthony. Of those people, he himself, was on top of the list.

There he said it, but did he ever admit this to himself? No. Did he want to tell himself the truth? Probably- but then again lying was not something he was used to. So he was sinking further and further into realizing this, and when he told himself this, well... He would have confidence, and dear lord, his recklessness would only increase tenfold.

His father was the main driving force by teaching him how to fully harness his fire powers, while his mother taught him growing stuff, and Yellow Eyes... Well let's just say he knows lots of things…

But anyway, Anthony was starting to gain a little bit confidence. It helped that he freed some slaves- but they got captured. He stopped a child from getting abused- but it turned out he was a masochist himself, and he befriended a cat- but he lost him.

All in all, this was pretty good from his normal bad luck, and the day wasn't even done yet! He had found where Pinocchio kept the key- in his pockets, but now he all he had to do was find the key, take the key away from Pinocchio, get the key out of Italy, and then go back to Spain- er the Underworld.

And once there he can shove it in the other villain's faces, and get that look of surprise his dad gives him when's he's proud. Proving once again that he was smarter than he acted, and much more cunning than anyone gave him credit for.

He easily tracked down the runaway coach and he even figured out where they were heading to before they arrived. Sure, the chase had been more or less strenuous, but with his extra endurance- thanks to his godly blood, Anthony managed to follow the coach all the way to a distant little dock, probably four miles away. Considering how Italy composed of mostly cities living on the coast it was quite normal to find another port city so far from Pinocchio's village.

Once there, the coachmen disembarked and he and the former wooden boy loaded all the donkeys that he had hypnotized on board to a little steam boat.

Anthony realized they were going somewhere across the sea, and if he knew any better they were probably heading to Pleasure Island. The land where Pinocchio and several hundred boys had been beguiled into doing all that they desired from smoking, drinking, breaking stuff, and being all around rapscallions- really anything that deserved a good spanking, but in the process they all turned into donkeys. In which case, the Coachmen and his goons would round them up and sell them as beasts of burden.

Pinocchio, though, had managed to halt the transformation, thanks to Jiminy Crickett's warnings and escaped along with his conscience. Yet, despite his best efforts, the boy was stuck with a donkey's long ears and tail.

Anthony watched from his hiding place behind a barrel as the boat took out it's anchor and sailed off. The boy groaned, he hated travelling across water- well, he hated water in general, but the sea held a special place in his heart.

For one thing, he had a huge fear of drowning. Probably due to how his father had been swimming around in the Phlegethon for three years, but one time when he was younger his mother would take random trips everywhere and anywhere, and when he was four, she took him to the ocean.

The boy admitted it, at the time, building sand castles and getting 'buried alive' was so much fun, and having his father pop his head out of the sand was cool too. At that age seeing ol' flame head, himself, always created a delightful memory, but of course he would then disappear for six months, and completely ignore him, again, but seeing him happy was a good change.

Well on that particular day, his mother and father were arguing, like always, so while they were distracted, Anthony had neared the water and he barely touched the water with his big toe. He bristled at first at the contact since the water was on the cold side, and he hated the cold- still does.

But there was something about that water that made him put his whole foot in, and then his other. Maybe it was the sound of somebody singing, or how his feet sank into the sand, or the way the current seemed to force him deeper, until he was in hip deep. That was when the voices stopped and the water stayed perfectly still.

He looked down and saw that the sea was almost like glass, but as soon as he let his fingers dance along its surface, the illusion ended. Beside him he saw his guardian angel (as his mother nicknamed him) appear on top of the water.

Tadashi had moved in front of the toddler to stop him from moving deeper in. "Anthony, you better go back to your parents. You shouldn't be alone. Now come on, buddy, I bet your mom is worried."

The little boy nodded his head and reached out to grab his hand, but like always, any contact between them always ended up with him just going right through Tadashi. This caused the boy to slightly hesitate, feeling the cold once more seep into his warm hand.

It was in that hesitation when Anthony suddenly felt someone's hands come around his ankles.

The boy let loose a scream of fright as the hands dragged him into the sea.

Anthony screamed as he stared into the faces of the two sirens, both of them had strangely angular faces which were decorated with intricate little green scales around their eyes, and their wild hair flounced around giving them a more beautiful appearance. But the image immediately shifted as they opened their mouth revealing two rows of pointy white teeth- the teeth of a predator.

The boy tried to hit them, he flailed in their grasp, but the sirens held on tightly, one on each of Anthony's arms. Yet as they neared the drop off, a place where the sea floor jumped from four feet deep to two hundred feet, their path was quickly blocked as a wall of vines and pink little flowers grew right in front of their eyes.

There swimming stopped abruptly and the trident spears they held in their hands were put to good use as they started slashing at the hedge, but as they cut one strand- three more grew in its place, and what was more, it looked like the hedge was pushing them back.

Anthony started blacking out as he felt the last of his air bubble out of his small mouth. The hedge seemed to sense this and immediately, the hedge swept up the two sirens and Anthony pushing them all the way to the shore.

Anthony felt his head surface through the water as his father practically ran at the waves and scooped him up. The tall god stared down at the two sirens as the vines wrapped around their tails, trapping them.

"Who sent you?" Hades questioned, his voice was eerily devoid of emotion.

"No one, Clymenus," one of the sirens spoke, her voice was hoarse as if she was not used to talking without water.

"We only came to avenge our Lord Poseidon. A trade really, the death of your son for the death of our father."

"Po-po isn't dead, he made his decision and he stuck to it- just like several of the other gods before him."

Both sirens released a series of dry wheezing, their failed attempt of producing laughter. "And all of them are gone. Where are the gods now? Why can we never see Apollo upon his chariot? Why are the sounds of hammers absent from the forges of Hephaestus? Why does Zeus hide from his mountaintop?"

Persephone frowned and took Anthony from Hades' arms and after kissing him on his forehead, he immediately came to.

"The gods hid because they hated my son, and it seems they weren't the last," the tall woman replied.

The other siren smirked, "We know what happens if he dies, Kore."

The lord of the underworld visibly flinched at their threat and he felt his anger spilling over as flames rocketed across his body.

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HIM!" Hades roared, and flames rocketed out of his hands aiming them precisely at the two sirens.

The sirens barely had time to move away, they tried to lift up their gleaming tridents to attack the angered god, but the torrent of flames was too much, and very soon they met the worst death a mermaid could ever dream of.

Their bodies cracked and popped against the intense heat, but that could not muffle the sounds of the unearthly screams of the sirens. Even the sea was left with a huge scar with the amount of water that had evaporated and the large crater that stood where the sirens laid. All that remained were two shrunken bodies with blackened bones, no flesh existed on them, and the smell of sulfur and grilled fish hung prevalent in the air.

Persephone hugged her son to her chest trying to block the frightening image, but even then, Anthony had felt his powers reach out to them, cutting the cord that separated them from the living.

As soon as it was done, Hades rushed toward his wife and son and hugged them, and hesitantly placed a kiss on Anthony's forehead, a rare moment of affection.

"Nobody is gonna lay a finger on his head, Seph. Don't worry… Don't worry…" Hades repeated, more for himself than for his wife or child.

It was memories like those that reminded Anthony why he always respected his father. Cruel his actions may have been, but in a strange way, it was those few times the old god showed he actually cared, and that was why he found that villainy wasn't such a bad path.

If it kept his father still able to love and raise a family, maybe the term 'evil' was exaggerated, and reserved for those who did it selfishly. After all, weren't most actions done by the heroes because they were following their dreams instead of realizing how it would affect others around them? Sure it always turned out good in the end, but for real life, was this the case?

Anthony did not have long to ponder this as the small steamboat sailed out of eyesight. Okay, so swimming is a big 'no-no,' and there were no other boats around, the masked boy had one last trick up his sleeve.

Putting two fingers in the sides of his mouth, he made a high-pitched whistling sound that could be heard several worlds away.

The earth started shaking and up from the ground a few feet away from him the dirt opened up revealing a black chariot designed with a wide frown and four black thestrals leading at the front. Another thestral came flying out of the hole, this one was not attached to the chariot and was already fitted with a saddle and reins.

"Guys, I only called Nox, I used two fingers, not one." Said thestral happily pranced over to Anthony's side and expected him to procure a nice slice of bacon.

The other deathly thin black horses lowered their heads and bat wings in disgrace. They hated failing their master, and it was much worse when it was Anthony: the boy who came now and then to give them some delicious prime rib- much better than rotting corpse flesh, or the occasional lost mortal. But it had been such a long time since Hades had ever used them, not since the day he fell into the Phleglethon, and that felt like an eternity ago.

Anthony rolled his eyes at their theatrics, but he still held the smirk on his face. "Okay, maybe just this once…."

The four downtrodden thestral perked their ears up at this, and excitedly watched as the boy attached Nox with the rest of them, with her acting as lead.

Stepping onto his dad's chariot, Anthony cracked the reins, the thestrals as one unit pushed against their harnesses and ran all the way to the edge of the dock, their wings expanded just moments before and as their hooves raced past the docks, each one caught the air and flew up into the sky.

Anthony couldn't help but feel elation as he felt the earth disappear from beneath him. The reins in his hands slacked as they flew onward, they too had missed the sky. A life underneath the earth might have been home to them, but this would always be their favorite place in the entire realms.

"Not too high!" Anthony warned. "We still got Mister 'high and mighty' looking out for dad!"

The thestrals bowed their head in understanding and lowered themselves closer to the ocean, but not enough to be sprayed by the sea mist.

The crescent moon seemed to smile serenely at them and the vast array of stars twinkled as if to greet Anthony, and it seemed to double as the seas reflected the stars. It was like they were flying in space, as they sailed on a sort of strange space odyssey.

The boy couldn't help but remember when he first moved in with his father, and how it was kind of scary how dark the Underworld was.

No amount of green glow seemed to lighten the place up, but for some reason, whenever it was night time in the mortal realms, all the diamonds and amethysts and sapphires found underneath the earth would release a beautiful gleam.

Anthony was reminded of the stars and the boy realized that these _were_ the stars- just the Underworld version. He tried to think of why they were in such a dark place, and he thought he remembered a story his mother told them on how they came to be there, but as he found himself gazing on ahead at the steamboat, he knew that he couldn't precisely remember how that story went.

The stars continued to light their way, but soon, they started to disappear as one of the islands they approached was all lit up like the fourth of July. A huge Ferris wheel was outlined in tiny little bulbs, a huge white clown face was visible a league out, lights were shining on his painted grin, and a giant rollercoaster raced along its tracks. The sounds of joyful screams echoed throughout the night, masking the strangled cries of the braying donkeys.

Guiding the thestrals, Anthony found a nice shady little corner to park, and after instructing them to go back home, save for Nox, who would only come if he did his usual whistle. As he watched them fly away, Anthony felt something twist inside him, a feeling he was slowly getting used to.

 _Were those guys his only friends?_

He was unsurprised that he found this answer to be true. In his very nature, Anthony was a huge extrovert, and not being surrounded by people were starting to drive him mad.

So when he found himself wandering into the amusement park surrounded by boys spanning from the ages of five to eleven, Anthony felt a bomb of excitement erupt inside of him.

Running to the nearest cotton candy stand, Anthony received a mountain of the pink cottony substance, but right before he could take a bite- a green shimmering shade popped his head on top of the sugary treat. His technically only friend- a dead one.

"Hey, buddy," Tadashi greeted.

"Holy crap man, not my cotton candy! I was going to eat that!" Anthony loudly whined, more from surprise than in disgust.

"Well, I'm glad I stopped you, because bud- I don't want a jackass out of a godchild."

"Excuse me?"

"Dude, we're in Pleasure Island, emphasis on pleasure… What happens if you be a bad boy, hmm?"

"You putz- I knew that! One little cotton candy is going to do that. Plus, I'm not a child anymore- I am a man, now- I"

"You're still a whiny little girl, blondie!" Tadashi interrupted.

Anthony frantically put his hand to his hair and rushing to the nearest mirror (one that he found in front of a maze of mirrors) he realized now that only a little bit of his hair reamined black.

"Hot damn… I really hate this."

Tadashi laughed, "I remember when your mom saw that your hair changed with the seasons- you were born with blonde hair you know."

"And you'll never let me forget it," Anthony grumbled.

"So what're you even doing here?" the young shade inquired, now looking more closely at his godson's apparel.

"I'm tracking down that marionette- former I mean. He's a real boy now."

Tadashi nodded his head. "Is he going to die or something?"

Anthony was rather shocked by his question. "Wh-what?! Nononono. No. I only came here to prove a point, sushi," he summed up, using the shade's nickname.

Tadashi relaxed a little. If Anthony was a little hurt by the dying comment, then it must have been that someone was going to die. It was never the boy's strong suit trying to cover up a lie, and even though he would never admit it, the shade knew that Anthony had some powers of divination, powers that always warned him when his services were needed.

That was why there was so many paintings strewn all across the library of souls and his bedroom, of people in the final moments of their lives. Even if it wasn't painting, Anthony would sometimes grab wads of napkins or even a gum wrapper just to give him a mental note of the poor soul he would visit in his dreams, and as he slept his powers or really Yellow Eyes would transport him to the dreamscape and readily severed the soul from the body. And so it was that when you die in your dreams, you would die in real life.

Tadashi really didn't know if Anthony remembered those moments. When he was younger he was rather oblivious to them and showed no signs of remembering what he had done the night before, well except for his first time. Yet, it just so happened, that the past few months was when Anthony started having trouble bringing up the subject about his godly duties, he would freeze up and stutter about random stuff and shuffle away- sometimes he would find the boy crying in one corner of the underworld saying someone's name, a name that was different each time. In other words, Anthony was starting to remember what he had done.

"Alright, just don't blow stuff up or whatever. I'm only a world away if you need me." The shade winked and immediately he turned into a ball of bluish-white light and disappeared into the earth below.

Anthony rolled his eyes, "Leaving without saying good-bye, some friend he turned out to be."

Still grumbling to himself, Anthony found a particular vacant pub, and without thinking he walked inside.

The tavern, unlike what he previously concluded before, was not empty. If anything, it was rather crowded, but not with boys, instead there were rather large burly men with massive mustaches that almost covered up their entire mouth, and poofy eyebrows.

All their attention seemed to be trained on the boy who was standing on the middle of the pool table, his little mouth cussing up a storm as he continued his tirade, but occasionally he would stuff the fat brown cigar in his mouth and puff out a few little circles, blocking out anymore obscenities from bursting forth.

Anthony, using his height, looked around the pub, and found familiar faces scattered about in the characters of Honest John the fox, Gideon the cat, the Coachmen, and the gypsy Stromboli.

They didn't seem interested in Pinocchio's passionate speech, as if they heard this all the time, all of them sat around the bar on wooden stools already deep in their cups, but the heated conversation between them only seemed to bring out the worst effects of alcohol.

Gideon though, the large anthropomorphic brown cat, with ugly little green eyes seemed to be the most drunk out of all of them. The world around him started swaying and before he knew it, he fell off his chair, and roughly landed on a sidetracked Anthony.

Anthony roughly grabbed the cat by the throat and slammed him to the floor, putting a knife in front of his eyes. Gideon couldn't move underneath the boy's strong grip, but it didn't help that he was as drunk as a skunk.

The entire bar fell silent as they focused their attention upon the scene, the coachmen and Stromboli immediately sat up from their seats and tried to separate the two. Anthony let go of the struggling cat as Stromboli managed to yank the small knife out of his hand.

Seeing that he didn't have a weapon anymore, Anthony managed to dart in between Stromboli and the coachman, and with inhuman-like speed, he managed to grab the coachmen's hidden pistol and Stromboli's long jagged dagger, and jumped onto the top of the bar.

Pinocchio felt his face crease into a frown as he took in the sight of the same masked man that had stopped him from escaping with Monstro.

"You!" The little boy screamed, he pointed with the cigar. "Someone, bring him to me!"

Everyone in the pub made a move to capture the masked figure, but Anthony in all his wisdom raised his pistol defiantly into the air and shot once, stopping all the men in their tracks.

"Look, guys I'm not here to fight. Do I want to fight- hells yeah, but right now is not the time or the place…" Anthony looked around at the pub and hesitantly added, "Just ignore that we're in a bar, okay?"

The men blankly stared at him, not finding anything amusing with his comment.

"Fine," Pinocchio gritted through his teeth. "You," he pointed to the large fox, "Carry me!"

Nodding obediently, Honest John ran to the boy and gently picked him up and set him on a stool in front of Anthony.

The masked boy was pleased that he was a good two feet taller than the boy, and he couldn't help but laugh as Pinocchio seemed to notice this as well.

"Something wrong, shortstop?" Anthony quipped.

Pinocchio's face turned bright red, and he clenched his small hands into fists on either side of his hips. His mouth was set in a scowl, and with a quick snap of his fingers literally everyone in the pub lunged at the masked boy.

Before he could even mutter one little curse, Anthony quickly looked down at the large glasses of beer and deeming them to be his only resource he kicked one and spilled it on top of the bar and shot a small amount of flame at the spilled alcohol.

A fire sprang forth, and everyone in the room took a large step back, Pinocchio was the one who sprang the farthest away, he had once been made of wood and had a huge fear of fire.

Anthony remained on top of the bar and felt the sensation of fire run along his feet, he couldn't help but put a hand to the fire, and like always it shot a pleasant sensation across the surface of which the flames licked.

"Alright, you jackasses- see what I did there? Come. At. Me!" Anthony taunted.

From his safe distance away, Pinocchio shot a spell at the flames, with the use of the Blue Fairy's wand, and just like that they disappeared.

Anthony's confidence swept away with the flames, and he realized he was at risk once again of being in severe danger. But even in the toughest situations he still kept that awful sense of cockiness.

"Okay, so you guys have magic on your side, too. So why not make things a little interesting?" The masked boy tempted, as he lit a flame in the middle of his hand.

Stromboli and the coachmen looked at each other, but it was Pinocchio who spoke.

"What can you offer?"

"Now, Pinocchio, do you think it wise to tangle with this infernal demon?" Stromboli inquired, he seemed to be the only one who realized there was something rather odd about Anthony.

"I am a demigod, sir- not a demon. Now for my other half-" both Anthony's eyes briefly turned gold and slitted before the right one turned back to its normal blue. "I really don't know _what_ he is."

The onlookers of the bar shared a baffled look, how could such a young boy hold the look of death upon him?

"Well… It's not fair," Pinocchio said, avoiding Anthony's gaze. "How can a person like me win in a game with you?"

Anthony laughed, and before he knew what he was doing he removed the mask and set it down in front of him. But there was no mistaking the look of youth upon him, and the look of mischief only seemed to add to it.

"I'm a kid too," his now fully golden hair encircled his face like tongues of fire. "All you have to do kid is beat me in a simple game."

"Can't be that hard, huh, little boy?"

Pinocchio set his mouth in a thin line, but everyone could see that he was fighting an internal battle. The various men in the room jeered him on, even the coachmen slapped him on his back.

"Now come on bucko. You know the spell won't work on ya, you're already too old."

Anthony briefly wondered if the boy was acting evil because of the peer pressure of these people, what had driven him all the way to acting, dare he say it, like a villain instead of a hero?

"Alright what game?" Pinocchio asked, quietly, his resolve was slowly coming back at the insistence of the people around him.

"But first the deal," Anthony smoothly reminded. "Let's see, since we both pretend to be men, why not have a twisted game of playing one. We'll each take a drink after each question we answer. And if I win I get that key in your pocket."

Pinocchio frowned. "What do I get if I win?"

"Well, don't ask me kid, I'm not you."

"Hmm…" Pinocchio wondered. "Are you good at stealing stuff? I know you broke into my house, today."

Anthony thrummed his fingers against the table in thought. "If I said yes, would you be offended? I stole your cat too, not on purpose though…"

"Wait, you stole my cat?"

"If stuffing him in my shirt and taking him away from your house constitutes as stealing, then ye… I also lost him, by the way… Not on purpose though, and I think I have just realized I shouldn't be around cats…" Anthony furiously started to scratch himself all around his neck and underneath his shirt.

"Seriously, I think I have a rash spreading across my chest."

Pinocchio slowly nodded his head, what was up with this guy? "Okaaaay… If I win, I want you to get me one key."

Anthony felt himself push back Yellow Eyes out of his mind further and both his returned to a vivid shade of sapphire. "Now, now, I never shall give you the key to my heart. I have hidden it away where Hades knows where," he mocked.

Seeing that Pinocchio didn't catch his reference, Anthony shrugged and stretched out his hand and shook the boy's hand, and like before, a blue flame erupted from their clasped hands.

Okay, first of all this was not Anthony's idea, but nobody knew that he didn't normally have a golden eye and a normal blue one. Both personalities merged into one as they had created the idea, but the main one, Anthony's was getting desperate and he knew that he was the one that was outgunned, and had to think of something insane, but if he managed to keep his head intact, this would be a great story for the kids.

Pinocchio swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. "Fine- John get the drinks."

The cowardly fox's head bounced up and down as he jumped to prepare the drinks.

Pinocchio and Anthony seated themselves in front of each other, John ran up to the small table and carefully laid out ten small glasses in front of each boy. The former marionette procured the Blue Fairy's wand and as he was about to reach for the feather in his hat, Anthony cut him off as he brought out his own feather.

"We'll use mine, thanks." Anthony slowly stated, placing the small white feather onto the table.

"Fine." Pinocchio muttered, as he thought he found something oddly familiar with it. Flicking his wrist, a beam of yellow surrounded the little feather, but as the beam hit the feather it turned a light blue.

Anthony let a smile spread across his face. "Alright, I think you can ask the first question, since you're the home team."

Pinocchio frowned, he didn't understand the metaphor the other boy used, but he chose to ignore it.

"Alright…" Pinocchio muttered. He tried to not think of an obvious question like what his name was, no, he needed to throw him off balance, something that would make him forget why he was really here.

And that's when it hit him.

"So, where did you get the feather?"

The question had the desired effect as he watched Anthony's shoulders tense up before he quickly tried to mask away the look of surprise on his face.

Anthony almost regretted not putting on his mask again, but he knew he needed to connect with the kid. Yet still that was a personal question that even he had trouble putting words in his mouth.

"I-I got it from a girl…"

"You know if you want to give a vague answer, I'll do that too," Pinocchio taunted.

Anthony inwardly slapped himself. He felt Yellow Eyes slip more into his mind, but he quickly pushed him back.

Sighing in defeat Anthony leaned forward and in almost a whisper exclaimed. "I got it the last time I spoke to the only living friend I've had in a while before I wiped her memory of me."

The white feather proceeded to turn upwards signifying that he had spoken the truth.

It was now Pinocchio's turn to smile. "Was it that magic girl?"

"It's my turn to ask a question- dammit," Anthony replied too quickly. The boy took a deep breath before he asked his question trying to calm down his nerves and grabbed a glass and felt the acrid flavor burn on his tongue. Immediately, as the alcohol sloshed around in his throat, he summoned fire to erupt in his mouth, the flames greedily ate the flames and none of the wine remained in his mouth.

The deal might have said that they had to consume alcohol, but Pinocchio had forgotten that he had a thing with fire, and with fire being a part of who he was, alcohol wasn't a depressant- no for him it was a stimulant. It wasn't a drug per say, but rather it was like sugar to him, and what happens, dear reader, when Anthony was high on energy?

Well you have to keep reading, this isn't Sparknotes.

"How old are you? Not your movie, but like you personally?"

Pinocchio gulped, he reached out for a glass and after downing it he shakily replied, "I'm sixteen."

"But dude, you look eight! What the what man?"

Pinocchio shot him a dark look. "My turn."

Anthony shrugged. "Fair enough, but your last question was and I quote 'was it the magic girl?'"

"Which I'll say 'yes it was,' so bottoms up!" Anthony cheered and let the wine soak in his mouth as another flame burned in his mouth, soaking up the buzz that started flowing through his skin.

"Now my last question was how are you so young looking?"

Pinocchio lowered his eyes in shame. "Gepetto's wish for a son, and for mine to be a real boy, backfired. Wishes… Always be careful what you wish for… I didn't know that I would be stuck as one for the rest of my life while the rest of the world get on going! That Blue Fairy tricked me, and I…"

"Who is your master?" Pinocchio quickly asked before he gave away too much, and hesitantly drank another shot.

"Hades, Lord of the Dead, god of the underworld- slayer of gods- "Anthony downed another shot, but unlike the other times, his skin started buzzing so much that his hair was starting to spark, and very faintly, flames started forming across the tips of his hair.

Everyone in the bar, except for Pinocchio took a slow step back at the sight of his hair, the former wooden boy didn't take no mind to this as he tried to think of his next question.

"Now this isn't a question but you want to grow up; don't blame you. But why did you take the crystal? I know you want to use it, so you need the six keys. You only have your own, but you need the others to do something… What is that something?"

Pinocchio nodded. "The villains made a deal with me saying that if I broke down the borders to the Real world and all the rest of the Realms that they'll get me one of the last ingredients for making a wish: pure Dreams, and Maleficent claims she has the blood of the next Dreams incarnation- her own son."

"Wait, what makes a wish?"

"My turn, remember? Alright, who's your godly parent?"

Anthony physically flinched. Holy crap, he couldn't give away who his dad was… But wait, he asked for godly parent, he had two, thank the gods.

"Persephone, that's why I work for Hades. He hates my very existence, and he forced me to work for him."

Anthony briefly looked to the side and saw how the feather turned upwards, he had not lied. But with it came a harder realization upon him, he truly believed his father hated him. Hated him because he took the only person Hades had ever loved away from him, for the sole reason of raising him.

Taking a drink, Anthony nodded at Pinocchio. "Kay, so what makes a wish?"

"A human child with a pure heart who also has the Spark, and most importantly: pure magic and pure dreams. By pure it usually meant raw power, but it can also extend to blood. I already got the magic girl's blood from Jafar, and Maleficent will get me her son's blood for the wish to work."

Anthony's left eye twitched; it was his yellow one, and for a moment both his eyes turned yellow. "He's not Dreams, she's lying to you, Pine Tree. I assure you they are going behind your back," the voice was not Anthony's, but deeper and darker in the way he seemed to have an indifferent tone, and how the eyes seemed to stare into Pinocchio's very soul.

"I told you my name is Pinocchio," the former marionette spat.

"I know that!" the deep voice spat, Anthony rose to his feet, and the spirit of Yellow Eyes grabbed the mask and quickly put it on.

"I'm just reminding myself of who I should collect once I want to rid myself of these mortal bonds!"

The next thing he knew the possessed boy threw aside the table, knocking the feather, the wand, and the remaining drinks to the side.

Stromboli tried to tackle Anthony, but Yellow Eyes was quick and his hold on Anthony's body was steadfast. He grabbed the man's long thick beard and in one swift motion jerked his head so fast that his neck snapped, the gypsy couldn't make a sound as he fell down dead.

Pinocchio gasped, Stromboli might've been cruel to him, but not enough that deserved death. He picked up the fallen wand and watched as Yellow Eyes snapped his fingers and every door and every window was closed shut.

The men in the pub frantically rushed to the doors and attempted to break down the door, but everything they tried was useless, it was as if the doors were coated with iron.

Meanwhile, adrenaline pumped through Pinocchio's veins, he shot a spell at Yellow Eyes, aiming for his chest, but the effects of alcohol on his small body were kicking in, instead he hit him square on his white mask.

The boy fell back and as he rose to his feet, both his eyes had become blue.

"Thanks for that!" Anthony exclaimed, oblivious to all the men trying to break down the doors. "Now give me that key, it seems I have drunk the most!"

"You didn't win…We didn't even f-finish!" Pinocchio slugged out, as his face was turning green and his mind started churning like his insides, he quickly leaned over and puked all over the wooden floor.

"Well, there you're wrong- it's whoever drinks the most kid, and you never drank after answering the last question."

"How're you not feeling… bad…"

Anthony smirked, "Alcohol is a stimulant for beings made of earth and fire compared to those made of wood and light. Dude, right now, I'm on cloud nine!"

The masked boy, still oblivious rushed at Pinocchio, but the boy zipped into the opposite direction, trying to find a way out, while at the same time, ignoring the pounding of his head.

Pinocchio would occasionally turn back, firing a spell at Anthony, but the boy would always dodge.

Well as he turned back to fire another spell, unlike the other times, his aim was so off, that it hit a glass bottle, and what was worse was that the spell rebounded and hit him back.

Pinocchio collapsed on the ground, and refused to open his eyes. He briefly felt something reach into his pocket, but the moment was fleeting. When Pinocchio opened his eyes, he gasped as he looked at his now gloved hands.

"No… No…"

"You!" he spun around to see Anthony looming above him.

"What? Can't you turn yourself back?"

"Of course not! Do you really think once a spell is cast that it can be reversed without the proper ingredients?!"

"Yes?" Anthony replied quickly, but once seeing Pinocchio's expression of annoyance he shook his head. "Noooo?"

"Magic comes with a price, and I was made out of _magic_. Do you know how hard it is to change them to their original state?! Magic can't be healed, it can only be changed, it's like cooking! Some of the ingredients are left behind, but you still can't make it back to what it once was! And I no longer have the bravery, honesty or my selfless nature to make myself a real boy!"

As Pinocchio screamed at him, Anthony felt himself backing closer to the bar until he once again felt the edge of it hitting into his back.

"Then what about people like Anna or Elinor? How'd they turn back?!"

"What else you, doofus? The most powerful form of magic!"

Anthony's eyes widened as he whispered, "True love…"

Pinocchio's mouth twisted into a smile, "Or love in general, and I've never had the pleasure of that. You should really ask your father more about that subject, especially since it was he who found out how to trick a person to fall in love with him…"

Anthony felt a lump forming in his throat, "You don't know who my old man is…" he frantically sputtered out, trying to slick his hair down, and killing the flames that were appearing across his head.

"Do you really take me as an idiot, son of Hades?" Pinocchio spat out, as he whipped a tendril of water to strike at him.

Anthony flinched as the water cut him on the shoulder, but still he shimmied across the bar as he edged nearer to the drinks.

"You know, maybe I should thank you. If I don't get the wish done, maybe I could find the potion to be a real man, an adult! Can't you see it?!" Pinocchio bellowed, firing another stream of water at Anthony's face, knocking the mask off his face.

Anthony fell to the ground and clutched at his face, feeling his skin prickle at the sensation of being cut by water. He somehow managed to find the strength to stand, and had a crazed look in his sapphire eyes.

"Well, I never really thought of you as an adult, but as a man. Wow, I see you as a thin little, prick, and a stupid one too," Anthony spat.

"Oh, really?" Pinocchio's painted eyes shone with malice, and suddenly a blast of water surrounded Anthony and he was stuck in his own little sphere of water.

Anthony squirmed against his prison and kicked and punched trying to break out, but the spell remained strong. Feeling the water surround him and getting into his lungs and dousing his hair was killing him.

 _Yellow Eyes! Please_! Anthony screamed in his head.

The spirit faked a yawn, _Figure it out._

"Not so tough without your powers, huh?" Pinocchio jeered, as ice started forming in the bubble. The marionette ate his words though as a torrent of blue flames erupted from the makeshift prison, and Anthony landed roughly on the floor and a coughing fit overtook him.

Pinocchio slowly approached him and was about to kick him, when suddenly Anthony grabbed his foot and stood up, making him hand upside down.

"I hate to inform you, but, you're oblivious to the fact that I can control fire and you're wood again, and this place serves alcohol."

Pinocchio tried to hit Anthony's hand, trying to break out of his strong grip.

"Oh, so your perfectly okay with killing me and these guys here? I am positively mortified; Jiminy Cricket would pass out from such a morbid thought. You can't even stop me remember? I'm a hero and only villains can stop me."

"What makes you think I'm one or the other? Who's to say I'm on a side?"

"What? But you helped Magic and her sister today- that's not ev-"

"You really don't understand motives, do you?" Anthony asked, suddenly dropping Pinocchio. His dark shadow caused the wooden boy to squeal as he spun around to face him.

"How'd you-"

Anthony cut him off as he lightly slapped the wand he was pointing at his chest away like an annoying fly.

"Let me show you what my real motives are…" Anthony's left eye turned yellow and slitted once more and suddenly his mask appeared right next to him. Putting it on, Yellow Eyes grinned once more at Pinocchio and calmly walked toward the men who were still trying to break down the door.

It looked like no one could stop him as he grabbed the nearest one and, without even blinking an eye, he lit the back of his shirt on fire, the next one who had tried to stop his friend from being killed, was punched in the face. Yellow Eyes could hear the shatter of his nose and the sound of his breath giving up.

Pinocchio and the other men gasped, thinking quickly, the marionette blasted a hole in the wall and let the other men escape the pub before Anthony continued to pick off his goons one by one.

Yellow Eyes look at the escaped men and laughed. He aimed a blast at the drinks decorating the walls, and as soon as the flames hit the alcohol, an explosion rocked the pub sending blue and red flames dancing across.

Anthony/Yellow Eyes stepped out of the pub and watched as Pinocchio ran away with the remaining men. The masked figure could even see the poor little marionette searching through his pockets trying to look for the lost key, and the strange entity searched the body of the boy he possessed and felt the key where he had hidden it.

 _I must really thank Hades for providing me this body_ , Yellow Eyes mused as he let Anthony slip back into control.

The fifteen-year-old felt himself slump to the ground in exhaustion and slowly rising up to his knees. His gaze turned to the bar, and suddenly memories of what he had just done played before his eyes like a flashback

Feeling a tear sting his eyes, Anthony looked once again, but this time he found something obscuring his view of the pub.

"Oh, Anthony. What have you done?"

* * *

Tadashi could only stare in horror as he looked upon the bar; the state of which was burning down, with two bodies lying where the flames started. Very soon the building started coming down, and Anthony held his hands out in horror.

"What have you done?!"

Anthony flinched at the ghost's tone, he had never seen the shade look at him like that. Just seeing his eyes filled with terror and horror, pulled at the boy's heart and the boy fell to his knees and he stretched his arms out on the floor in front of him as he started breathing heavily, refusing to look at Tadashi.

"Anthony. _What did you do?!"_

"I-I didn't know-"

"Yes, you did!" He cut him off. "You know you aren't supposed to use your powers this way, you can't act like this! What would Persephone think?!"

"Mom... Oh, gods, no..."

Anthony suddenly ripped the mask off his face and stared back at its empty holes. The boy threw it as far away from him as possible, but like always the mask materialized near him.

He felt his teeth bared in rage as he picked up a nearby bottle and angrily thrashed it against the mask's porcelain white surface, but not one crack appeared on its surface. Very soon, there remained nothing of the bottle and Anthony was left pummeling the mask with his bare fists.

"Why did you do this to me?!" The boy screamed. "Why did you take my mother away from me?! You, sick bastard," he hissed. " _Why?!"_

The voice of Yellow Eyes echoed throughout his mind, the deep bass of his voice and the malignant power behind him made Anthony stop hitting the mask.

"It is not my fault, Antonius- you are the one that's cursed, and not me."

"I was cursed with you; don't you give me that!"

Tadashi briefly watched as the boy started talking to himself again, a habit that he knew was not in any way healthy. "Anthony, what's happening?!"

"Why do you bite the hands that feed you, boy? I have always been with you. I have been there whenever your mother could never be, was it not _I_ who comforted you? Protected you, when she disappeared? Was it not _I_ who gave you the powers to walk into the mind? Or how you can do anything with music or art? Was _I_ not a generous spirit?!"

"My father went back to his old ways because of you- he was a changed god, but then you showed up and ruined my life!"

"No my dear, sweet boy, it was Zeus. Your father reacted exactly as he should of, killing off half the Pantheon was merely half of what I would have done."

"You've killed me, my mother, and my best friend, and now I have to kill everyone else for the rest of my life- as a _mortal_! My mind can't take this anymore. Day in and day out, all my nightmares are with you controlling my body, travelling across the world to fizzle out people's lives, and I can't forget like I used to because- because..."

Anthony did not have it in him to finish his sentence.

"Because that girl stole your dagger," Yellow Eyes finished. "Hmm, I expected you to actually do something about that. I mean it was _I_ who made you drop that dagger in the first place, so she could collect it, and so _you_ could steal the both of them."

"You are sick, Yellow Eyes and I promise you, one day I'll have the honor of chaining your soul in Tartarus."

"Don't make a promise you can't keep. After all, who else is going to help you with finding your mother?"

Anthony's face was marred by a sneer, something that rarely graced his face. "There are other ways than destruction- than- than chaos."

"Chaos will be your undoing, boy; might as well enjoy it before it kills you," the voice whispered, and soon the voice in Anthony's head remained silent.

The boy stood up to his full height, cradling the mask between his hands. Tadashi tried to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but like always his hand passed through.

"Anthony, are you in there, buddy?"

He flinched as he heard someone talking, but he sighed in relief when he realized that it was Tadashi.

"Yes..." he hesitantly replied. "I'm here."

"So, I just heard an interesting conversation-"

"Shut up sushi, I'm not in the mood right now."

"Well, neither were those guys you just killed, but hey, it's all about perspective, huh?"

"Dad wouldn't mind."

"And there is one perspective of many. Care to wonder what your heart says?"

Anthony sighed, "I am such a despicable human being..."

"There's the right one. I was wondering when it would outweigh your dad's logic."

"He's your lord."

"But _your_ his son, which means you have some power, right? I mean that's why I follow you around making sure I keep your _mom's_ promise. You may have signed your name, but even your good at heart- that's Persephone's half."

"Mom never killed anyone," Anthony weakly argued.

"No," Tadashi paused. "But she never had to- you seem to enjoy doing things that you know are dangerous and here we are in the ashes."

"So were you when I found you."

"Ouch..." Tadashi mocked being offended. "Now that hurt. You know I understand you a lot better than you think. I mean look at you- you are the most determined kid I've ever met, you actually found one of the keys you knucklehead. Too bad your gonna give it to your dad, who'll just give it to the villains and hate you for doing what they couldn't accomplish... "

Anthony fumbled around looking for the key that he hung around his neck, the golden little key caught the dying light of the flames. He took it off his neck and he looked up at the glowing shade.

The smallest hint of a smile ghosted its way across Anthony's face, and it immediately turned into a smirk that resembled that of his father's.

"Gee, I really do hate it when people don't appreciate my works... Maybe... Maybe I need to give it to someone who would appreciate it a bit more..."

* * *

 **I hope none of y'all Gravity Falls fans think Anthony is possessed by Bill Cipher, because he's not. But let's just say billy ol' boy might be making an appearance later in Anthony and Phoebe's future ;)**

 **BTW Clymenus is a name that many Greeks would use to refer to Hades, and means notorious. Kore, as well was Persephone's original name before she changed it according to myth, and means maiden.**

 **Next chapter won't be up for a while, sorry, life... But who knows. As always fave and review or PM me for any questions!**


	15. Friendship is Magic

**Friendship is Magic: Not just a TV show anymore**

* * *

 **Th** **is chapter is dedicated to my friends, the very people who encouraged me to actually write down this story. It has been one year since I started writing and seeing that I've already written nearly 200k words, I never really thought this story would go very far. The title is in reference not just to the show my little pony, but also to my friends where we have this running gag to yell 'friendship is magic' whenever we feel the bonus of the people we befriend.**

 **Now if you look back to when I published my first story, that was not when I started, usually of what I post is what I wrote about a month earlier, but editing is a jerk and not as fun as the actual writing portion, hence my secret to updating quickly. Sorry about the delay of this chapter, but hey school is starting soon.**

 **Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and faved/followed this series, and let me say where I am taking this story I am not even ten percent done. I know that the story is taking long to develop or answer everyone's questions, but that's the point of a story. Enjoy the chapter, hopefully at least some questions will be answered.**

 **Oh and so no one gets confused, the chapter starts eighteen hours after Phoebe and her sister get kidnapped, and this chapter also switches between the past and the present, but they are labeled as such.**

* * *

 _Charlie: My Aunt Helen has said I should be a writer, but I don't know what I'd write about._

 _Sam: You could write about us._

 _Patrick: Yeah! Call it 'Slut and the Falcon'. Make us solve crimes._

 _-The Perks of Being a Wallflower_

* * *

 ** _Eighteen Hours Later_**

"~No-body knooows the trouble I've seeeeen~" Phoebe pitifully sang, sitting in her corner of the jail cell, trying her hardest to ignore the other six people in the cell with her.

Her plan was not succeeding.

"Oh, shut up," Drew murmured as the back of her head hit the back of the stone wall for the umpteenth time. "You're the main reason we're in here."

Here happened to be the only jail in Frontierland; it's a long story actually.

"Oh, what? It's not my fault I'm singing- Zelda's playing the harmonica!" Phoebe argued, casting a darkened glare at the girl who had claimed the bed along with Elise.

Drew quizzically looked up at the country girl, on the opposite corner of Phoebe. "How did you sneak in a harmonica? They searched us for weapons and everything."

Zelda halted her playing and, looking straight in Drew's eyes replied, "Timelord technology, sweetie. Probably never heard of it, hmm?"

"Phoebe," Drew hissed, plugging her ears with her fingers. "She's doing that thing again!"

Lauren snorted, she sat at the head of the bed, next to Elise, and a hair-lengths away from Drew. "Please, she does this all the time; it's her stupid grandfather's gift of prophecy. She glimpses all the timelines that may or may not be. It'll grow on ya. At least Inigo's okay with it."

"So she can see all that and didn't see us ending up in jail?" Drew curiously asked, her gaze shifted to Zelda, her face shone with astonishment.

"Spoilers, sweetie," The cowgirl lightly reprimanded. "It took me a solid ten years to decipher what was real and what wasn't- it took me even longer to cipher through them and make sense of only 80 percent."

"Even now, the things I see are just warnings that a fixed point in time must happen. In other words, ending up in jail was fixed, but something else must happen for time to flow normally once more."

"If a fixed point in time is happening, I bet that it's allowing males in the same cells as females," Elise noted, staring daggers at the boy trying to pick the lock.

"Hey," Inigo looked up from his work. "At least I'm trying to escape- unlike you guys singing and playing your fancy harmonicas. It's not like I have magical powers that can bust us out or anything," the thin teenage boy brooded.

"Excuse me," Phoebe huffed. "I don't want to break another rule, okay?!"

"That's rich." Tammy snorted. "The girl who got us in here in the first place blames us. Can you even own up to the wings you gave me?"

Phoebe blushed and averted making eye contact with Tammy as she suddenly felt guilt wash over her. "Look that was an accident. I don't know how it happens. It happened to Frollo and now you," she spoke very quickly trying to apologize to the one girl she felt the most responsible for, considering the lengths she took to bring her back to her senses.

"Oh, pish-posh, it's going to happen to all of us."

Everyone in the room turned their heads and stared at Zelda.

"Oh what? Admit it, who doesn't want to fly? I personally can't wait to invent a box that can fly! But hopefully that man won't steal it." A concerned look crossed her face. "Oh, well at least the odds are one billion to one."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. How was it even possible to get any weirder? That cowgirl, whoever she was- had to be, by far, the strangest.

Zelda Sawyer: The leader of the band of rebels who kidnapped her and her sister, and probably the one who masterminded everything behind how she met up with that Jungle Cruise skipper and Whitmore's granddaughter- to her signing that infernal book everyone keeps mentioning.

Mr. Mouse had made several mentions of what had been transpiring with the band of rebels; from how they declared Tom Sawyer's Island as their very own, to how they traversed through the Parks instead of staying in their respective lands, and how they liked- how did Mickey put it?

Oh.

Meddle in things.

"Well, I know how we got here," Zelda said, breaking the awkward silence in the jail cell.

Lauren turned to Elise. "Yeah, how the bloody hell did you even get into jail? You were stuck on the island with Inigo, right?"

"That is true," Elise slowly nodded, as she went through her memories. "I was not there for the bar right when the fight started... I may or may not have performed citizen's arrest on myself for letting Phoebe escape the island..."

Drew snorted. "Then how did Inigo get here?"

Elise rolled her eyes. "I performed citizen's arrest on him too, solely on the reason because he should have been expecting something like this to happen."

"You're a dork..." Lauren smirked. "But wait, how did the brawl start, anyway? I remember Tammy showing up ready to fight people, and Phoebe you showed up trying to hide..."

"I was not-"

"You tried to lock yourself in the back room."

"She was trying to _kill me_ , and she was doing a very good job at it!" Phoebe shot a poignant glare at Tammy

The sunburned girl shrugged. "Sorry, but I had a pretty legit reason."

"Huh, don't you start!"

Tammy raised her hands up defensively, "Technically I didn't start it-"

Phoebe sighed restlessly, muttering, "Lay off."

"Oh, you want to go, again?!" Tammy snapped, she started to lift herself up, but Zelda put a quick hand on her arm, giving her a slight squeeze.

"You guys can kill each other later. But-" Zelda's eyes gleamed in interest. "Seriously, how the heck did you even get to this point? I know how the fight ended, but the beginning, not so much."

Inigo nodded. "It seems I am the opposite, I'm lacking on the ending."

Elise elatedly clapped her hands. "Do you know what this means?! Story time!"

Lauren chuckled at Elise's reaction. "Alright, Phoebe you're up."

Phoebe groaned. "Do I have to? Tammy was there too..."

"Fine. I'll just start where I was beating the crap out of you?" Tammy grinned, her eyes flashed maliciously.

Drew snickered from her side of the cell, she was keeping watch in case the sheriff came back. He seemed to be preoccupied with whatever was causing the dust and tumbleweed to whisk up and down the jail.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, and put a hand on her side where she swore a rather nasty bruise was forming. "How about I start at the beginning?"

Tammy snorted. "Someone seems eager now."

"Shut up."

* * *

 ** _Eight Hours Earlier_**

Phoebe briefly felt her body twitch, and on instinct the girl cuddled the stiff pillow closer to her face. Her hand navigated across her small bed and pulled the thick blanket further cocooning herself in the many folds of the bedspread. Phoebe's wings twitched, and as they did, they unfolded themselves and pushed her out of the blanket's embrace and that was when the cold hit her entire body.

The winged girl repositioned her legs, and flinched at the contact of her bare skin touching something really coarse, a sudden thought passed through her head.

 _Didn't I wear jeans, last night?_

 _Wait. Last night!_

Memories of what happened in the world of Pinocchio rushed back to her like an old friend. From being turned in to a fish, the Jungle Cruise boat showing up, something shocked her, and Pinocchio... That stupid punk! He got away with the key! Where could he be now?

Mr. Mouse should be notified immediately along with the Council, and especially the Blue Fairy- her own godson stole her wand! What else was this case going to turn into?

Phoebe sat up and ripped off the remaining blankets and practically threw herself off the bed.

The winged girl looked down and found herself wearing a floral night gown that was so long she couldn't even see her feet underneath the coarse cloth. Raising the long skirt, Phoebe barely even inspected the room before she found the door and ran out.

Immediately, it was like someone tied a blindfold around her eyes for a piñata at one of her cousin's birthday parties.

Phoebe briefly slowed down when her body collided with the wall of the tunnel, "Well that was a smart idea," the winged girl grumbled, rubbing the spot where her shoulder had collided with the wall.

Other than the fact that she felt dizzy, Phoebe felt the awful taste of stupidity on her tongue, that annoying ex-friend who showed up for no reason. Simply because she had unwittingly gotten herself lost.

Her surroundings were suffocating and she felt her wings stretch out trying to see how small the tunnel was, but all it did was increase her awareness of the small enclosing she was in. Still, Phoebe, forced herself to walk forward, cautiously, because of how dark the tunnel was.

Phoebe wondered if she should create a light, but decided against it, guessing that whoever kidnapped her would see her coming; instead she opted for feeling her way out by putting her hands out against the sides, and following wherever they lead.

Rounding a curb, Phoebe stumbled, but she managed to balance herself with the adjacent side, but the feeling of rough stone scraped her right hand. The winged girl sighed, she had to turn on a light sooner or later before she hurt herself even more.

Yet there was something nagging her, telling her not to try any magic, so she continued around the paths, and eventually her hand hit a wooden door.

Smiling triumphantly to herself, Phoebe opened the door and found that she was back where she started.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" she roared. The winged girl stomped through the room, slamming the door behind her.

Phoebe tried to calm her frustration down by forcing herself to inspect every little detail of the room. She knew she shouldn't waist any of her energy on her anger and after taking a deep breath, the red in her vision started to diminish.

Now that she was more aware of her surroundings, Phoebe found herself approaching a small wooden vanity with all sorts of drawers.

Opening each one, she found brushes and combs along with tons of perfume bottles, some strange sticky substance that smelled sweet, and some scissors. Phoebe lightly closed the drawers and continued rummaging through the room.

As she neared toward the bed, which made up a majority of the small room, there was a little nightstand that had a lantern set comfortably in the center of it, serving as the only source of light in the room. Phoebe realized this as she inched toward the light and picked up the heavy metal case and tried in vain to search for a window.

The winged girl had to use two hands to pick up the lantern, and because of this, she had to let her long skirt down, causing herself to trip every step. This was rather uncomfortable for Phoebe since she made rather long strides to make up for always being left behind by all her peers because of her rather short height.

Shining the light on the edge of the other side of the room, instead of finding windows, all Phoebe found was a closet that practically made up the entire wall. Placing the lantern down on the floor, the winged girl slid open the door and found all sorts of brightly colored dresses, many of them gaudy and decorated with ruffles.

Trying not to gag at how big and poofy the dresses were, the Phoebe looked down at what she was currently wearing.

"Okay, so I probably need to change..."

Figuring that she couldn't run around in a ridiculously long night gown, Phoebe knew that she had to change into something more suitable.

Picking up her skirt was one option, but running around in a night gown would be rather embarrassing and probably not the best way to run away in, especially since she didn't know what she would be facing once she made it out of the labyrinth. At least some of these dresses were somewhat shorter, and now that she looked closer, they were the ones that were farther in the corners.

 _Wonder why that could be,_ Phoebe pondered as she selected a pretty blue dress that she found literally at the very end of the rack.

* * *

 _Present_

"So you raided my closet?" Zelda inquired.

Phoebe blushed. "I'm really sorry- I didn't even know it was your room. I only meant to borrow one of your dresses, I swear. It just seemed smart to change from that awful nighty," The winged girl quickly explained.

Zelda nodded slowly, she was rather surprised that Phoebe was so shy when it came to people her age. She had at first thought that with her being Magic and how rational she seemed at the saloon earlier that she would be a little more confidant, but it just seemed to be the opposite. Could it be that Phoebe was socially awkward and this was her way of rebuilding her bridges?"

"I should be the one saying sorry. You see that was my Aunt Polly's, I really don't wear night gowns and I had to give you that one," Zelda smiled sheepishly.

" I hate to break it to you, but that one-" the cowgirl gestured at Phoebe's gown. "Isn't mine."

"Excuse me?"

* * *

 ** _Seventeen hours and forty-five minutes earlier_**

Phoebe quickly used the scissors she found earlier to cut some holes in the back for her wings and slipped it on. As she felt her wings slip through the holes and smoothed down the front of her dress, she instantly realized she made a mistake.

Yes, the dress was definitely shorter than the night gown, the edge just above her ankles, and it wasn't tight or big on her, it was just-

"Where are the sleeves?!" The room to her suddenly got very hot, especially underneath her armpits..

"My mom is so going to kill me if she sees me wearing this-this" Phoebe flinched as she barely whispered, "Harlot's dress." Her hands flew to her mouth as she realized she had actually spoken that dirty word.

Phoebe fingered the sides of the dress, trying to further inspect her new attire.

The corset was all sky blue with black detailing, but the see-through skirt was black which had a sky blue petticoat underneath. The 'sleeves' she thought the dress had, were actually designed to be off-the-shoulder, revealing more skin then she had ever dreamed of showing.

Phoebe desperately tried to raise the sleeves higher, but the straps refused to budge.

"Come on, you stupid cloth, just go a little higher!"

* * *

 ** _Present_**

"You know, Phoebe, we wouldn't be here in the first place if you hadn't tried to escape," Elise reminded her.

The winged girl rolled her eyes, the sophisticated girl really liked putting the blame on people.

"Usually, when I wake up in an unknown location, I tend to run away, or think of something clever."

"So you've been kidnapped before?" Zelda inquired.

"Yeah, only once though, thank God. That was when I learned about all this Disney chizz, and I kind of got these-" Phoebe pointed to the pearly wings attached to her back.

"Hmm, I've never been the kidnapee," Zelda admitted with a smirk forming on her fox-like face. "But the kidnapper, like there was that one time when we kidnapped your twins and Sidney- no sorry Lauren kidnapped the triplets to-"

"Umm, Zelda," Inigo innocently interrupted. "I think your thinking of a different time stream."

Zelda's mouth form an 'o.' "Sorry about that- my mind is elsewhere today... So we were your second? Well, first is the worst-"

"Second is the best," Lauren winked, continuing the rhyme.

"And third is the one with a treasure chest," Inigo joined in.

"Did we ask for your opinion, Inigo?" Elise hissed.

"I-I just wanted to finish the stanza," Inigo gulped.

Elise shot him a stink eye. "I'm sorry, Phoebe, he's trying to raise your hopes up. Kidnapping is a crime punishable by death where I come from, I really hope your expectations for these sorts of things wasn't raised."

"What?" Phoebe's head shot up in confusion. "Well, obviously..."

Drew chuckled. "Wait- wait- wait. Wait, wasn't it _Elise_ the one who showed Phoebe the way out?"

The heads of six teenagers slowly turned to look at the now silent Elise.

"Minor details, really."

* * *

 ** _Seven hours and forty-two minutes earlier_**

"Hey, you're awake!"

"AHHH!" Phoebe screamed as she spun around and found the thin girl who travelled with that Jungle Cruise shipper, Elise, the winged girl remembered.

The sophisticated girl wore a shimmering navy blue flapper dress of a modest length, right to her knees embroidered with small silver beads. "I was wondering when you were going to awaken. I was just going to check on you and- Phoebe put down those scissors no one is here to hurt you!"

Phoebe still had the scissors she had used earlier, raised above her head, ready to strike at any moment.

Elise sighed, the sight of the pointy blades didn't faze her as she had gotten used to all the weaponry Lauren carried, and that glare Phoebe was giving her wasn't menacing at all; just scared.

"It's okay, I already burned your old clothes, they will not cause any more crimes against fashion, I assure you Phoebe."

The winged girl's mouth fell open in shock, "Y-you what?!" Phoebe mumbled, lowering the scissors in a bemused manner.

"Well, that's why you were going to attack me, correct? I brought you new clothes and everything," Elise gestured to the bundle of clothing in her hands.

Phoebe's mind whirled, this girl assumed the strangest things or she was just really good at catching people off guard.

"Well played..." the winged girl sighed in defeat.

"Why thank you," Elise beamed. "I knew your clothes were _horrid_ , but they were even _worse_ because of how wet they were. Lauren was worried you would catch a cold, and told me to let them heat near a fire. Well, that was her idea, but I resorted to burning them instead. Tammy tried to dissuade me, but I knew something should be done, but by then it was too late, and Zelda-"

Phoebe cocked her eyebrow, "Who's Zelda?"

Elise laughed like that was a silly question. "She was the first of us," she simply put. "We are currently in one of her tunnels as well. She and I designed these tunnels for our own purposes maybe eight years ago for your world's time frame... I see you've already raided her closet."

Phoebe blushed, "Um, yeah... Where did you come in from, exactly?"

"Why from the ceiling, of course! There's the trapdoor," Elise nonchalantly pointed to where she had entered from.

"You were put in our safe room because it is our driest and nicest suite on the island. We figured you deserved it after that ingrate Inigo stunned you. We deeply apologize for his actions, by the way- and don't worry he's paying for it by making sure all of our defense systems are up to date."

Phoebe inclined her head in an interested manner. "Really? Tell me more about these defenses... _friend_."

"Oh, of course! But first let's get you some boots to go along with that dress."

* * *

"You didn't..." Lauren gasped, her voice rang with a light jovial tone. "Elise, come on, really?"

"It was a momentary lapse of judgment."

* * *

 **Seven Hours and fifteen minutes earlier**

"So where's Drew- you know tall? brown hair? female? Ring any bells?" Phoebe asked, as her gaze flitted around her surroundings, from the tall pine trees to the small patches of periwinkle flowers that were arranged here and there.

"Ah, yes your sister." Elise mused. "She should be in town with Zelda. She woke earlier and went to go show her around town. Andromeda was especially excited about traveling on horseback."

"We're on an island."

"That's what you're worried about? Please I thought you would say 'wouldn't the guests see us?'" Elise mocked, doing a spot-on impression of Phoebe's worried voice.

"Well, that too," the winged girl admitted.

"Well, Zelda is an accomplished sailor as well as an excellent equestrian; personally I think she works better with horses, but she is very savvy on many subjects."

"Uh-huh, so Tom Sawyer's Island... Wait shouldn't there be tourists swarming this place right now? It's a hotspot for Disney fans- myself included."

"That's what the defense systems are for. The boats that they usually use to transport themselves here are always sabotaged by Lauren at night, ergo, no one shows up and we're left alone."

Phoebe eyes widened at that, "What do you mean by sabotage?"

"I think you know precisely what I meant."

Phoebe paled at the thought of seeing that pirate girl lighting up the boats with cannon fire.

"But, we also have the large rocks that we moved around the island that prevent any boat from approaching. Only Zelda and Lauren know how to navigate through them. Inigo even installed a security system that monitors every inch of this island in case of intruders like we had when we first moved in here- that was Tammy's idea, actually. And of course we have the fort for a more frontal attacks, that's where we mostly live, except for Zelda, she's living in the yellow house on the opposite side of the island with the rest of her family, but you were residing in her room in the fort since we have yet to make yours."

"Lastly we have the tunnels underneath the island; originally it was built to navigate a way out of the fort in case we had to evacuate, but Zelda and Inigo collaborated to expand them. We lengthened them to have tunnels underneath the entire island and beyond, with one leading right to the Haunted Mansion. We are friends with a couple residents now, with me being able to see them and all, and the fact that we may have accidently unearthed a couple of bodies while digging- an instant friendship, really."

Phoebe remained silent the entire time. Naturally she was shocked by how extensive these kids had used their skills to design their own home and the lengths they went to ensure that no one would trespass, but clearly many of these extra measures were because someone had managed to sneak in.

"What about an aerial defense system?"

"We have yet to design one- maybe you can tell Zelda, she was just talking about that a few days ago."

"That... sounds _really_ fun..." Phoebe nodded, hoping the naive girl couldn't notice the sarcasm in her voice.

Elise beamed, " I can already see we are going to work very well together. Now-" her direction shifted towards a thin lilac windmill that sat as a sentinel on the edge of one point of the island..

Phoebe hesitated and started following her.

"-It's probably best if we go and see Tammy. The poor girl has been boarded up for a week ever since you gave her those owl's wings."

"Wings? What happened?!" Phoebe practically grabbed Elise's shoulders. Out of context it seemed comical seeing such a short girl trying to size herself up to the tall Asian girl.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Elise's voice broke in bemusement, she took a long step backwards, putting a good amount of feet away from Phoebe. "We all thought it was something you gave to her as a thank you."

Elise's eyes widened in realization. "That was on accident, wasn't it?"

Phoebe's cheeks reddened. "I-I'm sorry, I don't r-really know how to control my powers-"

"Then who on earth put you in the position to be the essence of Magic?!" Elise snapped, placing her hands defiantly on her hips.

Phoebe's face blanched. She barely knew the girl for ten seconds and she already voiced the one fear that was eating her away. Was it really that obvious?

"Oh my goodness, I think I might have to perform a citizen's arrest for your reckless use of magic-"

"Nononononono," Phoebe shook her head multiple times. If there was one thing she didn't want added to her list of stupid things she's done, she definitely didn't want going to jail as the next one.

"Please, please, _please_ don't do that. H-how about we go see Tammy, instead? and I can help her with her- you said owl wings? What are you an expert on birds?"

Elise nodded, a slow smile spread across her face. "Why, yes, you see I am an avid bird- _watcher_." She started walking again, her direction following a set of rocks inlaid into the soil, with Phoebe close behind.

"I studied her feathers and the shape of her wings and I even compared them with several species of birds. Just two days ago I concluded that she received the wings of a great horned owl. Of course there was a few more obvious signs," Elise whispered quickly to herself.

Phoebe didn't seem to hear what the girl was muttering to herself about. "Wow, you really know your stuff, don't you?"

"Of course! Our group is filled with well-rounded individuals, I just happen to be the resident bird expert."

Phoebe's mouth pressed into a fine line, she suddenly felt a little pang of jealousy at hearing this. Here they were, a group of five friends who had known each other for several years, watched each other's backs, and worked together like a well-oiled machine. Even with the now and then spats between some of them, namely Inigo and Elise, they were still bound by the hands of friendship.

"Well, that's nice..."

"The book would have rejected our names if we weren't worthy anyway- at least that's what Lauren keeps assuring me when I mention that Inigo is unsuitable for this group. Yet he has made a nice addition, but it's still poison in my mouth to admit it."

Phoebe felt her face crease into a frown. "Can you please stop mentioning that book for one second?"

Elise lightly shook her head in disapproval, but complied. She then took out a set of keys from her small purse, and halted in front of the lilac windmill.

"Once you are properly acquainted with everyone, I think we'll give you a presentation on our group's glorious history." The flapper said, as she placed the key into the small lock, and proceeded to open the door.

The thin girl quickly closed it, blocking the door with her body, as an unsettling thought crossed her mind.

"Um, Phoebe... I'm not the kind of person to scare my friends, but-" Trepidation flew across her eyes, as they flitted to and fro, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't sound terrifying to Phoebe.

The winged girl took a step forward, but Elise flinched so bad that Phoebe froze in her tracks. "What? Tammy's in there, right?"

"Yeeeeeeees." Elise slowly nodded her head, twitching as she heard something being knocked over from behind the door.

"Well, what's wrong with her?" Phoebe pressed, taking another step forward.

"Nothing!" Elise screamed a little too loudly.

Phoebe felt guilt creeping itself into her mind, was it possible that whatever Elise was trying to worry about was all because of her? What if all of these people's attempts to befriend her was ruined because of her lack of control over her powers? But what exactly was wrong with her?

"Actually a lot of things," said the only male voice Phoebe had heard all day.

The winged girl spun around and came face to face with the Hindi looking boy who stunned her. He was definitely taller than her, dressed in some odd space man suit with a pair of block glasses resting on his nose.

"You knocked me out." Phoebe bluntly stated in an accusatory tone.

Inigo awkwardly laughed, and put his hand behind his dark hair, making him look a bit embarrassed. "Huh, yeah... Sorry about that..."

Phoebe snorted, she wasn't expecting him to apologize. Just once glance from the tall, lanky boy, she could see that he felt guilty for knocking her out. Figures.

"It's not the best way to meet people, but hey." The winged girl extended out her arm and shook hands with the boy, "I'm Phoebe, by the way."

"Inigo Borg, I'm the tech geek here." The boy straightened himself out, as he said this.

"Borg? Are you from Iceland?"

"I'm not from Earth, actually."

Elise rolled her eyes, but still, she did not move from her position in front of the door. "And so continues the list of why I hate you so."

Inigo felt his shoulders sag at her words. "Elise, I didn't raise more money than you to annoy you. I simply wanted to-"

"Enough of that you pleab!" Elise snapped. "I worked so hard to raise that money! I even sent a catalog to my estranged father just so I could please my grandfather on my skills as a business woman! But here comes this boy all willy-nilly from outer space, who raises more money than me, solely because he knows more people, because guess what?! His great-aunt is the Grand council woman!"

Elise had marched forward, instantly forgetting her job to guard the door, and repeatedly jabbed her finger between Inigo's ribs. The boy endured it out of silent fear, but also because he knew if he let Elise blow off steam now, she wouldn't give him this speech later.

Phoebe, on the other hand, took one look between the feuding teenagers and at the slightly ajar door. Should she tempt fate and follow the scary movie trope and die because of her curiosity of trying to figure out what lurked behind that sinister lilac door? Or stay and watch the flapper girl brutally commit amicide(murder of a friend)?

Muttering, "Screw it," under her breath, Phoebe chose the former and silently slipped through the door.

Much to her surprise, Phoebe didn't realize how dark it was. She could see that someone had boarded up the thin windows with dark curtains, since she could briefly see the outline of sunlight trying to pour through, helping her see the outline of a winding staircase that wound around the interior of the windmill, leading to what looked like a second door, that she guessed was locked as well.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to leave the door she came through, open.

But Phoebe pushed away these thoughts as she heard something rustle above her. Craning her neck upwards, the winged girl realized that the wind mill was a lot larger than she had originally thought, it might have had to do with the strange magic that made every structure at Disney World grow bigger to accommodate all the character's living here, so with no guests currently on the island, that could explain why this place seemed so much larger.

"Hellooo? Tammy?" The winged girl called out.

Phoebe frowned when she received no response. "Hey, you remember me, right?" The winged girl lightly touched the railing of the staircase, and slowly made her way up.

"You know, the girl who you met like two days ago?"

She paused as she felt the briefest gust of wind hit her in her face. Phoebe jerked her body away, hitting the side of mill, and behind one of the boards, trying to organize her jumbled thoughts. Whatever made that wind, didn't produce a sound.

Wait.

Phoebe felt a memory rising in her mind, one when her biology teacher had decided to bring in one of her friends who handled birds of prey. Her friend, she had forgotten her name, but she had come in teaching Phoebe's class all about hawks, falcons, owls, and even eagles.

The winged girl was naturally excited about going to class that day when her biology teacher's friend brought in a falcon and an owl. But what did she say was special about owls? Something about their wings containing something called serrations?

From her vantage point, Phoebe watched Elise and Inigo bustle into the wind mill.

"Phoebe, stay down!" Elise loudly whispered. "Don't make sudden movements, she can probably smell fear!"

Inigo came close behind, holding an flashlight, which he pointed at the ground. "Please, come down from there!"

Phoebe shrugged, not really seeing what was the big deal, and walked down the stairs, where Elise practically jumped on her.

"Did she hurt you?! How many fingers am I holding?! Do you remember who I am?!"

"Elise!" Inigos' voice rang, bringing her back into reality. "It's okay, Tammy's still in her hooch," he explained as his eyes drifted to the roof of the mill where someone had created a small landing where a cot was placed, and on that cot, Phoebe could make out two gleaming yellow orbs staring back at her.

Phoebe's hand flew to her mouth as she tried to cover up her gasp. "Is that-"

"Tammy," Inigo finished. "Ever since she came back from your school, about a week ago she's been acting bizarre."

Phoebe looked at Inigo curiously. "What do you mean a week ago? I just saw her two days ago." Realization dawned on her. "How many days were we in the world of Pinocchio?"

Inigo hesitated, he shot Elise a look, one which the girl angrily returned. A debate seemed to flash telepathically between them, but instead of Ingo backing down, Elise was the one who caved in.

"You were there for five days."

Phoebe's felt her jaw drop. "What the what?!"

"Time works differently here," Inigo simply stated. "I can get Zelda to teach you how it works later, but yes, almost a week."

Phoebe had put her hand to her forehead, as she made a mental list of all the things that could have gone wrong with her absence. First there were her parents, her sister had missed an entire week of school, Yen Sid probably had the entire kingdom searching for her... Okay, maybe he wasn't, but Belle, for sure would be worried; she did contact her at least once a week, and she had not heard from her for a while now.

"Sweet Lily Evans Potter, my parents are going to kill me."

"Could be worse, though," Elise reminded her. "Your sister could have died under your watch- how do you think your parents would feel about _that_?"

Phoebe shot daggers at Elise. "Thank you for putting that lovely image in my head."

"You're welcome, Phoebe," Elise exclaimed, without an ounce of sarcasm in her voice.

The winged girl rolled her eyes and turned to Inigo. "So what's the deal with Tammy? And why the heck does she keep staring at us?"

"We don't really know," Inigo shrugged. "We've managed to take blood samples from her, but other than nuclei being found in her red blood cells, everything is normal, her DNA is still human. It's just some amino acids that are normally found in humans are nonexistent or have been replaced by _Bubo virginianos_ proteins. The only other difference, of course, are her wings, her eyes, and how she hasn't communicated with any of us."

"So her blood's different..." The medical side of Phoebe's brain was whirring in thought. Could it be possible that her blood was different in the same regards as Tammy's?

"Would you actually take a look at my blood then?" Phoebe blurted out, a plan was forming in her head.

"Wh-what? Y-you mean you want me to test your blood?" Inigo blubbered. He received a firm nod from Phoebe.

"Well, I-I don't know, my medical supplies are-"

"Oh, I know!" Elise interrupted him. The girl rushed off, grabbed Inigo's flashlight and found a crate underneath the winding staircase. "You keep your medical supplies here, right Inigo?" Elise flashed him a triumphant smirk.

Inigo's face remained impassive, except for his eyes. "You have got to be kidding me- now?!"

Phoebe rolled her eyes at the boy's hesitance. "Look," the girl extended out her right hand. "It's okay, I'm kind of curious myself of what you'll find," come on, you clown, hurry up, she almost blurted out, but she held it back

Inigo groaned outwardly, and muttered a loud "Fine,' and proceeded to draw out a vial of blood, using the medical kit Elise gratefully found for him.

Phoebe didn't hesitate as she extended out her arm and allowed Elise to wrap a length of rubber around it. After using a small wipe to clean the inside of her elbow, Phoebe watched as Inigo lightly pressed the thin needle into her skin.

Phoebe released her breath, not even recalling that she had held it in. Were these people really putting that much trust into her?

"Are you still living, Phoebe?" Elise pondered out loud. she watched the dark river of blood escape from the needle and was being drawn into a thick syringe.

"I would hope so, I have yet to kill you," the girl looked up at the windows. Maybe this could work.

"That's the spirit, Phoebe, we can kill Inigo together!"

Said boy and Phoebe shot Elise an annoyed face.

At this, Elise rolled her eyes. "Very well, if Inigo is to make a study of your blood- I will study your feathers," she muttered and plucked off a small feather off Phoebe's wings, causing her to flinch.

"Ow!"

"That was meant to hurt..."

Still grumbling, Phoebe watched as Inigo removed the needle and put a bandage over the area where he drew her blood.

"What's her diet?" Phoebe asked without looking up.

"Only meat- not much else." Inigo admitted, capping the syringe and transferred the blood into three small vials.

"Hmm, when is she usually awake?"

"Mostly nighttime, but she's awake now."

"Does she move from that spot?" Phoebe found herself going back up the stairs, but with a different purpose in mind.

"We have a camera set up to watch her at night," Inigo hurriedly said, following her up the stairs, gesturing for Elise to lock the open door. "But yes, it seems she's tried to escape several times."

"Wouldn't blame her," Phoebe commented. She stood at the very top of the windmill and the winged girl found herself a mere three feet from Tammy.

The girl's strawberry blonde hair was unruly and her clothes looked the same as when she saw her last from her blue hoodie and long jeans, the only difference was they had long tears, and evident signs of bruising underneath the exposed skin that was mostly evident on her arms.

"Whoa, Tammy... you don't look so good."

Tammy's yellow eyes looked slightly bigger than usual, and she could barely make out the whites of her eyes. Suddenly the winged girl stood up from her cot and allowed her wings to spread out in a threatening manner.

Phoebe's eyes widened. _Uh-oh._ In response Phoebe lifted her own pearly wings and put them in the same position as Tammy.

"Guys is she... There?"

Inigo reached Phoebe first. "We don't know, she hasn't made any signs that she even remembers us."

"So it's neurological?"

"We've assumed so," Inigo curtly nodded.

"Can you fix her?" Elise remained at the bottom of the staircase, cautiously approaching the door behind her.

No.

"I-I wouldn't know the first st-"

Phoebe and Inigo flinched as they watched Tammy flap her wings, creating a gust of wind, but no sound was made.

"She can already fly..." Phoebe muttered in realization. That was who created the breeze from earlier, so that brought another question: If she could already fly, then was she capable of doing anything else?

Glancing at the beams that held up the pointed roof of the windmill, Phoebe jumped and grabbed one of the beams, using her wings to get an extra lift. Tammy watched with curiosity in her eyes, but she quickly recoiled now that Phoebe hung above her.

"Okay, Tammy; it's me, Phoebe... Can... You... Under... Stand... Me?" the short girl pronounced slowly. Her eyes though were fixed on the window her body was blocking.

Elise rolled her eyes. "She is definitely not a people person... Time to intervene," the girl grumbled, and made her way up the stairs.

While it may have looked like Phoebe cared about Tammy, in reality, she knew next to nothing about her; just like the two people who were expectantly waiting for her to fix Tammy, that's why she felt responsible for her fate. Yet still it would be better if she left now- nobody would get hurt.

This was Phoebe's thought process as she inched jumped down onto the bed beside Tammy, besides, maybe the band of rebels could come up with a way to fix her with her blood. Yes, they'd find a way- better for one person to get hurt than all of them.

Tammy, still laying down, scooted away from Phoebe, regarding her with large, curious eyes. To her muddled brain the few thoughts that riddled her mind that this girl was familiar. Could it be that this girl was a part of her species? or perhaps something else entirely? but she still gave her a wary stare.

Phoebe felt every fiber of her being screaming at her, telling her to run, but she remained frozen in place as she watched Tammy stand up to her full height.

"I'll take that as a no... So-" Phoebe's mouth set in a firm line. Okay so no communication there. What would Belle do?

 _"You should try and be patient."_

Mickey Mouse?

 _"If you believe in yourself all your dreams can come true!"_

And Yen Sid would probably say something like, _"You mean you cursed someone?! Have you at least tried to master control?!"_

If only she listened to at least one of them, for the voice that Phoebe chose to take was one she didn't even hear.

 _"We must fight- to run away."_

"So-" Phoebe awkwardly laughed, her gaze flitted to the window and back to Tammy. "I'm sorry- I can't do this."

The winged girl ran to the window, throwing aside the thick curtain, allowing light to stream into the darkened place. Tammy screeched and backed up in pain and covered up her eyes.

Phoebe set her hands on either side of the frame ready to jump, but the sound of Elise's voice stopped her.

"Phoebe, what are doing?!"

The winged girl slightly craned her neck to make eye contact with the flapper. Her adrenaline was pumping and right now all logical thoughts were being thrown out, literally.

"Jumping out a window -you know normal things."

Jumping out of windows started to be something Phoebe was growing accustomed to. Maybe because she used to fantasize about such things, or maybe it was just exhilarating, feeling her wings open up to catch the wind and her body resist the strings of gravity. But the illusion was ruined as she heard a loud sickening crack.

Phoebe felt her body twist around to see what had caused that sound.

And lo and behold Tammy, in all her glory, wings spread like a hawk ready to pounce on her prey, was racing towards her chips and splinter of wood ,surrounded her. Phoebe gasped when she realized that instead of following her through the window, she had created her own exit in the lilac mill and the hellish light of determination emitting from her golden orbs were trained right on her.

Phoebe didn't need more motivation to quit her staring and get back to flying.

It was funny how Frankenstein's monster turned on his creator.

* * *

 _ **Seven Hours and Thirty minutes earlier**_

A tall, thin blonde with intelligent blue eyes, sat atop a young appaloosa , curiously eyeing the brunette riding the old mare beside her.

"So..." Drew started. "You're Zelda, huh?"

The blonde smirked. "I prefer another name, but for this world, let's go with that."

"Well back in my world, you're a video game character," Drew retaliated.

"Does this 'character' let you ride one of her horses and give you clothing and a bed?"

"Noooo-"

Zelda's grin grew. "Then please don't insult me when you have no proper comeback. What does that sister of yours teach you, anyway?"

Drew snorted. "She doesn't, I go to school."

"Pity, I'd expect public schools to be of a higher caliber, but oh well, I guess some things never do change."

"Hey! It's better than homeschooling."

"I learned trigonometry at home, and I'm from the eighteen hundreds, don't pull that lip with me."

Still grumbling to herself, Drew pushed the old mare onwards.

"Where are you going?!" Zelda shouted, and guided her horse to block Drew's path. "You don't even know the way."

"Of course I do! Follow the tunnel out." Drew gestured to the large tunnel they were currently in, the only reason they could see each other was thanks to each of their horses were equipped with a headlamp on their long faces and one around the front of their chests.

"Sweetie," Zelda's tone turned almost motherly. "You really don't know how to get around do you?"

"Even if Phoebe did tell me all about this world, I don't think she would know about this."

"Hm, figures. The tunnels around the Parks are quite extensive, my father discovered them when this Park was opened and all the characters moved to Disney World instead of Land, because of how large it is compared to the old Park, and less conspicuous."

Zelda lightly cracked her reins and motioned her head for Drew to follow.

"But I have theorized that these tunnels serve more than one purpose, I think they even lead to other places- maybe even a few realms. Inigo has placed markers every twenty feet warning us that they are our tunnels, in case we enter one that we don't know anything about."

"And it's very easy to get lost, but we can't risk making a map since we know others know about them and we don't want anyone _not_ in our group to find our home base. The tunnels may be our greatest asset, but they are our greatest weakness... And even I get lost sometimes, but not as often as when I was little."

An uncomfortable silence permeated between them. Zelda stared on ahead, while Drew had her attention elsewhere.

She sighed, wondering if her sister was okay. Zelda had mentioned that Phoebe's body was exhausted; one for being stunned, but also because her body had just changed back from a human, and transformations are just reconfigurations of your spine, bones, and skin, one could say that that was indeed painful. But there was something much worse: when the body resists the change.

It was a rare case, one that Zelda had spoken about while Drew changed into one of the cowgirl's riding clothes that she let her borrow as an apology to her being kidnapped. A case that they assumed was why Tammy had not been acting like usual.

Lauren had been there when Drew awoke, she was the one who was reading through every spell book the group owned, trying to find a way to find a way to bring Tammy back to her senses. She had also been the one who assured Drew that she was safe, and explained everything about the group and how they weren't evil like Drew and her sister had first perceived.

And after that, Zelda said she needed to grab a book from her workplace- wherever that was, and she nicely asked for Drew to accompany her; leading them to travel through the tunnels.

The silence between the two was broken as Zelda sighed dramatically.

"Look," Zelda, suddenly stopped her horse and dismounted.

The tunnel before them had changed significantly to how there looked like a large wooden door that blocked their path. The door was intricately decorated with scenes of wagon trails and Native American camps with cowboys, cattle, horses, and a small keyhole stood prominently in the middle of the door.

"I may not know you that well, but trust me when I say that I'll watch over you as long as your sister is a part of us. By definition, blood is just as binding when it comes to that book."

Drew remained silent, but she felt a great weight roll off her shoulders.

The cowgirl put her hand underneath the light pink bandana around her neck and procured a gold necklace with a silver key.

Drew's eyes widened in amazement. "You have one of the keys?!"

"Of course," Zelda smirked, placing the key into the little key hole. "Everyone in our group does."

And turned the key.

* * *

 **The next chapter will be up within a week, maybe less.**


	16. The Entertainer

**So a psychic flapper, a smuggler pirate, a prophetic cowgirl, an alien, and an angel and her sister walk into a bar... Oh and another angel shows up, but she crashes into the bar... Yeah... That's it- that's a title, yo.**

* * *

 _"-but as she passed him he placed the gun almost against her very breast and pulled the trigger! He had supposed it was not loaded. And he was right- it wasn't. So there wasn't any harm done. It is the only case of that kind I ever heard of. Therefore, just the same, don't you meddle with old unloaded firearms; they are the most deadly and unerring hing[e]s that have ever been created by man. You don't have to take any pains at all with them; you don't have to have a rest, you don't have to have any sights on the gun, you don't have to take aim, even." Advice for Youth, Mark Twain_

* * *

 **Present**

"You mean to tell me each of y'all have one of the _keys?!"_

Phoebe's shrill voice of disbelief pierced through the crowded jail cell. If she had known any better, she didn't know what was the real torture, being stuck in jail or being with these guys.

Lauren, Elise, Inigo, Tammy, and Zelda burst out into raucous laughter.

"Well duh," Tammy snickered in amusement. "How else do we sneak into the Lands?"

"Because... because..." Phoebe quieted for a second. "I never really thought about that..."

"But on a plus side they can open any door or lock according to their respective lands; they're like a skeleton key," Elise added. "And I use it to my advantage to steal those wonderful little purses on Main Street."

"Too bad we don't _have_ them right now," Inigo sighed, staring longingly at the desk, that was placed near the entrance of the small jail. "Because Zelda would've grabbed her key and get us out of here."

Drew leaned over to Phoebe and loudly whispered. "Dude, do you know what this means?! Zelda's Frontierland!"

Phoebe heavily sighed and put her face in her hands. "Yes, Drew, your powers of observation are astounding."

"And Elise is Main Street!"

Phoebe turned back to stare long and hard at her sister. "There ya go, five points to Gryffindor."

"I thought I was Slytherin."

"Changed my mind... Anyway- "Phoebe pointed at Elise. "-You stole your key from Grampy Whitmore."

"Excuse me, he is going senile, and it was either me or my brother; consider it Fate that I found it first," Elise snapped.

Phoebe snorted, "Fine, you did nothing wrong... Now, Zelda, easy- you inherited the Frontierland key. Inigo your Tomorrowland- like seriously no one would wear that unless you're from the future."

"A little harsh today, aren't we Phoebe?" Tammy smirked.

"You nearly killed me- shut it. So Inigo," Phoebe quickly changed the subject. Her tone shifted immediately to a more amiable one. "How'd you get your key?"

"Well you see..." He started. "I sort of- kind of-"

"You stole it," Phoebe bluntly observed.

"I did not! I just-"

"He mixed his own keys with Lilo's when he was visiting Jumba a year ago," Elise interrupted. "They never noticed, and neither did Inigo for that matter...Well, until a month later, if I remember correctly."

Phoebe giggled. "That is probably the best thing I've heard all day," she admitted, feeling all the tension in her body disappear.

It was like the more she conversed with these 'strangers,' she was slowly becoming used to them, and even accept them as acquaintances. This old feeling of being accepted left a bitter sweet taste in Phoebe's mouth.

"Lauren you... You're Adventureland, aren't you?"

"Yeh."

"Story?"

"Gambling. See I-"

"Why am I not surprised?" Phoebe snidely commented.

Lauren lifted her eyebrow in a 'don't test me' manner, but chose to let it slide. "You see ol' Sparrow, he showed up crashing us, skipper's New Year's party- two years ago, mind you I was like fifteen at the time, and well I still had the penchant to do something crazy-"

"Because, you know, you don't have it now," Tammy, loudly whispered.

"Haha, Tam- anyway I wanted revenge, and if that daft son of a motherless goat thought he could have a good time, well, let's just say, giving him every bottle of rum I could find was easy enough. And when he was nearly wasted- not completely, I convinced him to a game of cards. Long story short, I rigged the game-"

"You cheated," six voices rang in unison.

"Yeh," Lauren grinned. "But it went _well_. So then came phase two, I wanted him to walk out with only the skin of his teeth, but when he placed the Adventureland key, well I wanted it."

"For the next round, I was curious- so curious I lost the round, Jack got all the money and was ready to walk out, but god damnit I had to get that key. So, as he was walking out, I grabbed a wooden board and hit him in the back of his head."

"While he lay unconscious, I grabbed the key and replaced it with a piece of tree bark, made a necklace, put it around his neck, and left. He woke up the next day and never noticed the difference."

Phoebe looked at her skeptically, "How d'you know?"

"Cuz I asked him a week later if he still had it, and he flashed me the tree bark. In his defense, Jack is not an idiot, but, his sanity- it's not entirely there."

"True," Drew murmured. "So all we're missing is Fantasyland-"

"Hey, don't forget about me!" Tammy cut off Drew. "I _had_ the American land." The sunburned girl stared longingly at the desk where her key was locked away.

Phoebe's eyes widened. "Oh yeah, that's not Frontierland..."

"NOOB," Drew chanted.

"Oh, they look practically the same," Phoebe waved off her comment. "I mean, if Naveen lost it- like Drew suggested- he probably lost it when he was strolling out in the night and Tammy found it- case closed."

"Hey Sherlock, this is the part where I talk!" Tammy argued. "My brother works at Memento Mori- in the camera shop near Haunted Mansion. Someone brought in a key, and when no one came to claim it, he gave it to me."

"So that's it? _That's_ how all the keys got new owners?!" Phoebe asked incredulously. "My Lord, these Disney guys don't know how to do diddly-squat!"

"And that's how Equestria was made!" Drew announced proudly. Seeing everyone's confused expression she rolled her eyes. "It's just an expression, guys!"

"Hey now- you kids keep it down now, ya hear?" The voice belonged to the warden, or a better word might've been deputy. His superior, the sheriff, was off handling the situation with the herd of bovine that had plowed through Frontierland's only saloon.

Long story.

He was certainly younger than the sheriff, and considerably thinner than him, with a head full of sandy blonde hair that hung right over his eyes, and his square-like jaw jutted out in a boorish manner.

At the sound of his approaching footsteps, Zelda grabbed one of Phoebe's wings, and ducked underneath the bed she was sitting on, and covered herself with the large appendage.

"Oh! what the heck-"

"Shh- he can't see me," Zelda whispered, slightly peeking behind Phoebe's feathers.

"You couldn't grab Tam-"

"Shush!"

Phoebe, against her better judgment, let Zelda's action slide. The winged girl did kind of owe her thanks for helping her out, and other reasons- reasons that made Phoebe immediately regret not helping Tammy at her moment of need.

Well at least Zelda had acted in time.

* * *

 ** _Earlier_**

No, no, no- this couldn't be happening. She was just a fledgling, a new flier!

It was certainly a cold day in hell for Phoebe, beings how Tammy was able to fly just like that; while it took _her_ a whole month to just even master staying in the air for an hour!

It didn't make sense! But then again, this might've been some primordial slice of cheesecake justice, or just karma that was getting back at her for choosing the Captain Jack Sparrow way. Who knew that running away from her responsibilities wouldn't feel good?

Okay so she did, her rational side was screaming at her the entire time. She literally never acted on instincts. Phoebe's main strategy in life was to go by things the logical way, not the path infused with emotions and hormones, as Hades would say. Even her previous incidents with the Jolly Roger and the Great Movie Ride, she took the most logical path, sure she had to use her resourcefulness, but it was worth it. No one died.

Now this occasion, the one time she acted out of line... It was not going to end well.

Phoebe watched from the corner or her eye as Tammy gained more speed.

She just had to be faster too!

And if it hadn't been for her watching Tammy zero in on her, Phoebe probably would have noticed the slight shimmering that seemed to envelop the edge of the land as she soared over Frontierland.

Or better yet, noticing the fact that the people down below her were now in fact not from her world.

* * *

 _ **A little Earlier than the last Earlier**_

"After you!" Zelda gestured to the now open door.

Drew stared wide eyed. "Whoa- what am I looking at again?"

Zelda curiously turned to look through the door. "What? All I see is more tunnels."

"But- but shouldn't it be like a portal to- I don't know Frontierland?"

Zelda snorted, she grabbed her horse's reins and pulled her through. "Well it is," she said as if it was obvious. "This _is_ Frontierland- just underground. All I did was open the door."

Drew stared at her, skeptically. "I'm intrigued, but then again, what the heck was all that glowy stuff?"

"Oh, I just opened the portal, don't worry it only lasts as long as the door stays open. So hurry up, I don't want another person to suddenly pop into Frontierland, seeing everything revert to the 1870's."

Drew clicked her horse forward, and watched Zelda while she continued to babble as she closed the door.

"Trust me, it's happened before, seriously, that poor little boy was traumatized- at least I found him first... Stanley- I think was his name. A peculiar one, he tried to come back with his brother a week ago, but I sent them away before they could do anything. Besides, I couldn't risk them dying, they're a fixed point in time, you know? Just like us going to the saloon today."

"So you mean there's a light at the end of the tunnel?"

"Figuratively speaking, yes, but I warn you, electric light has yet to be invented- you have been warned! Now turn here would you, I personally don't want to go to Adventureland without Lauren, again."

Drew silently obeyed, and followed the tunnel as is veered left. Her face contorted in confusion as she noticed that this particular tunnel was not only a dead end, but it was furnished in the style of a horse parking with a three wooden poles sticking out from the ground designed to tie down the horses, and a small water trough complete with water spick and everything.

No, it literally was a horse parking, someone had placed a yellow sign that said: HORSE PARKING ONLY. ALL OTHERS WILL BE GIVEN DYSENTARY. With the picture of a cowboy swinging a lasso while riding a horse; it was kinky, but hey, it added a nice touch.

"I see you like the sign-" Zelda exclaimed, she tied her appaloosa's reins onto one of the poles. "I personally think it's offensive since that's what killed my paternal grandmother, but Young insisted."

"Who?"

"Tamara- or Tammy, as she prefers." Zelda explained, as she helped Drew tie down the old chestnut mare. "She calls me Sawyer, I call her Young- it's all very simple once you think about it."

"So last names?" Drew asked, questioningly.

Zelda gave her a deadpan look. "Sometimes I wonder why Grandfather Apollo gave me prophecy, but your godly parent couldn't give you common sense."

Drew put an offended hand over her agape mouth.

Zelda snorted sweetly and gave Andromeda a light hug. "Sorry, couldn't help myself, but seriously you set yourself up for that. Gift of prophecy or not!"

When the cowgirl released her, Zelda marched on over to the end of the tunnel. Using her height she extended her arm and reached for the little stub of a rope that dangled from the ceiling.

The tall blonde pulled down the rope, and a secret trapdoor opened, allowing a beam of light to stream into the darkened tunnel.

"Well, are you coming or not? Because I have no qualms to leave you here."

"Coming!"

Drew watched Zelda as she used the rope to help her out, and once the cowgirl was up, Drew followed her.

When her head emerged into the light, Drew was surprised to hear music blaring from somewhere behind the wooden counter that blocked her view, a piano?

Grabbing Zelda's hand for support the girl managed to fully stand out of the hole.

Drew spun around, looking at her new surroundings from the can can girls on the stage to the collection of all sorts of alcohol that decorated the wall behind her to the mass of grungy men that littered the saloon, but her gaze stopped on Zelda.

"Since when did you change?!"

Zelda grinned, putting her hands on the sides of the pretty vermillion southern belle dress she wore. Her jeans and buckskin jacket were nowhere to be seen, even her ten gallon hat had disappeared- only to be replaced with a matching sun bonnet.

"Time lord technology, sweetie."

"But you-" Drew shrugged, "-Meh. Disney magic, I got it- I got it."

Zelda's grin widened. "Now you're getting it." The cowgirl diverted her attention towards the men who were gathered around the stage.

One particularly drunk man had grabbed one of the can can girl's legs, in the middle of her dance, and had successfully pulled her off stage.

Zelda's lips tightened into a straight line, and before Drew even realized what was happening, the southern belle procured a shotgun from underneath the counter and shot three warning shots into the ceiling.

Drew quickly covered her ears, she was merely three feet away from Zelda, and hadn't expected for her to actually fire. The girl looked up and saw how the ceiling didn't have one single hole in it.

She removed her hands from the side of her head, and felt ringing coming from her right ear, and as Zelda was speaking to her she couldn't hear a thing. But wait, if she fired where did all the bullets go? Clearly a shotgun would have created quite a big hole, what was happening?

"Great balls of fire!" Zelda's voice had the slightest hint of a southern accent as it resounded around the eerily silent room.

She opened up the counter and made her way to the stage and pointed the barrel of the gun at the perpetrator of the commotion. The pallid man's eyes were glazed from the effects of alcohol, but they quickly lit up at the sight of Zelda, and let the young red headed can can girl go.

"You watch yourself now! Everyone here knows the kind of skills I have with ol' Despereaux, and we _all_ remembered what happened to the last person who acted out of line."

The drunk man gulped underneath her stern gaze, and removed his hat. "Y-yes..."

"Yes, what? I am not your mother and you will address me properly." Zelda snapped, putting the barrel of the shotgun under his chin so he could look her in the eyes.

"Y-yes... m-ma'am..."

Zelda cocked her head slightly. "Fantastic, now you can leave. Tell Mrs. Johnson hello for me and tell her exactly what you did today, I'm sure she'd be _very_ pleased on your behavior."

The man stood up to his full height, easily a foot taller than Zelda, but everyone in the bar could see he was shivering from fear. "Y-yes- of course. H-have a nice day m'am," he hesitantly put on his hat, and stumbled trying to exit the room.

Zelda snapped her fingers, "Barnabas, Edwards, help the man out the door. I don't want his body as a decoration on my beautifully polished floors, I just paid off the carpenter for Pete's sake!"

The southern belle, walked onto the stage floor, lightly whispering to the show girls to go back to their dressing rooms, and patiently waited for them to leave.

Still holding the shotgun across her chest, Zelda snapped her fingers once more, grabbing the attention of the man in control of the lights. "On me please."

Zelda blinked and put a hand in front of her eyes. "Too bright, Hubert!" Said man put a covering in front of the stage light, making the beam slightly darker.

"That's better, thank you," the girl sing-songed.

Once clearing her throat Zelda addressed the still silent crowd. "I am quite sorry for the inconvenience, but anyone who attacks one of my dancers again will be asked to leave, incarcerated, or worse... And I think you know _exactly_ what I mean."

The crowd remained silent, except for someone who was in the middle of a coughing fit.

Zelda giggled at their reaction. "Alright then, Garson-" a man with a balding head and a white apron appeared behind the bar, next to Drew. "-A round of drinks for everyone!"

The sound of gunshots and the whooping and hollering of the dozens of men echoed through the saloon, shaking the rotting, wooden building, and the glittering chandelier that stood elegantly in the middle of all of it. It was almost a complete contrast to the land around them, and to Drew it seemed almost the perfect metaphor for Zelda.

Phoebe's sister flinched at Garson' appearance. "How the heck do you people keep doing this?!"

The bartender smirked, his spectacles rose as he did. "It's something Miss Melanie teaches to all of her staff."

"Melanie? I thought her name was-" Drew nearly screamed as someone came up behind her and covered her mouth.

"Yes- Melanie that's my name..." Zelda quickly said, as she removed her hand from Drew's mouth. "Don't you agree, _Andromeda_?"

The girl hesitated, but the pleading look in Zelda's eyes, made her slowly nod her head. "Yeah- I mean yes... Definitely, absolutely..."

Drew forced a grin, but Garson seemed to accept this answer and turned his back to them as he filled up pint after pint as the roughnecks rushed to get the round of free drinks.

Zelda grabbed Drew's arm and two mugs full of hot milk and led her to an empty table, the farthest away from the stage.

"Thanks for that." Zelda whispered placing the two mugs of hot milk on the table.

"I'm terribly sorry for not debriefing you about my alias here. The walls have ears around here, and there's a bounty for the Sawyers- especially since it was I who broke off from the Parks."

"Wait!" Drew gestured her hands. "Back up, what the heck did you do to the last person who 'crossed the line?'"

"Oh," Zelda giggled. "I gave him a stern talking to."

"That's it? Then why the shotgun."

"It's simply an extra precaution."

Drew was satisfied with this answer, it's a Texas thing you see, and turned to the mug of warm milk that the southern belle set in front of her. But the fact that the bullets didn't create any holes in the ceiling was still bothering her.

Zelda pulled out two white packets from who knows where and poured one into each mug. "Hot chocolate? Young introduced me to this fantastic way to create this sugary drink, much sweeter than any peppermint they sell in this town."

Drew nodded and accepted the outstretched mug. She took a tentative sip and watched Zelda sighed dejectedly.

"You okay?"

"Well besides my father's disappearance, trying to make sure my family is safe, running this bar I bought a year ago as a cover since there is a bounty on my head for making my island its own nation, and that my best friend is not herself... Yes, I do suppose I'm okay."

"No need to give me your whole life story."

"Oh you wanted my fake one?" Zelda sarcastically quipped.

"Well let's see, my alias Melanie Ravenswood, is the daughter of a man who owned an old gold quarry, but with legends of evil spirits plaguing the mine, my father went insane. He killed my 'fiancée' by the hangman's noose, and so I grabbed my remaining family and ran, and using my dowry to buy this rundown old bar."

Drew nodded, as she let the information sink in. "So is your family actually here?"

"Hmm, well, my mother and my brothers and sisters, but Great-Aunt Polly refused to move. She stays in her yellow house on the island, stubborn old woman, I say, but she watches out for our group. Prophecy is nice and all, but you can't always see your own future."

"Why'd you even break off from Magic Kingdom anyway?"

"You know, the usual: taxes, I can't trust an unstable democracy one being run by a three foot tall mouse and the defensive system being run by your sister of all people, and I wanted to be a princess. Not in that order, mind you."

"Huh, so you and your little group aren't bad people?"

Zelda scoffed. "Oh, we most certainly are- we're the reason why you can't scream 'Andy's coming' at the Parks anymore- too many Cast Members getting injured, and when they got back up we would scream it again."

Drew laughed. "That explains a lot, Phoebe used to think it was because it scared the kids."

Zelda furiously nodded her head. "It did! That's why we did it so much! Inigo disapproved, but even he grew to like it."

The southern belle felt a grin ease its way across her face. "Yes, we're an interesting group alright: a pirate smuggler, an alien disguised as a human, a soothsayer cowgirl, a flapper medium, and well Young... Whatever she is now."

Drew downed her hot chocolate in one gulp. "Oh yeah, we're here to get a book so we can fix Tammy, right?"

Zelda giggled knowingly. "We're not here for a book, sweetie, that was just an excuse. We're waiting for Phoebe to show up with Young! And by my calculations it should be in thirty seconds."

The girl opened her mouth in protest. "Nuh-uh! Phoebe can't carry anybody- she isn't even in this world!"

"Twenty seconds..."

Drew rolled her eyes. "You're just messing with m-"

A loud crash interrupted Drew, and both Zelda and her stared wide-eyed, along with the rest of the occupants of the bar at the large hole in the wall that wasn't there mere seconds before.

Feathers littered the front of the saloon, a mixture of brown and white, fell gracefully to the floor compared to the two figures who were wrestling on top of a smashed table that had broken their fall.

But the table that Phoebe and Tammy landed in had been occupied, and one man sat up straight from his chair to avoid getting hit by the two thrashing girls. Yet instead of being relieved that he wasn't hit, all he saw was red, because the two girls managed to spill his free whisky.

"Uh-oh, Is that-" Drew gasped as she watched the two men fumbling towards their pistols

"Uh-oh is right! I miscalculated by five seconds!" Zelda huffed, interrupting her.

* * *

 ** _Present_**

Zelda watched in disdain as the newly installed deputy, still sauntered about the jail, sitting in the sheriff's rickety rocking chair, giving glances to his prisoners every now and then, and then revisit the paper work lying all about the cluttered desk.

"This man is impossible."

Phoebe cast a dark look at her. The winged girl was fed up that Zelda was still using her wing to cover herself from the deputy's view. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that that's one of the three Willie Brothers, I never see them apart."

"Oh," Phoebe breathed out. That could explain a few things now. He was the undercover sheriff.

"Wait," Lauren sat up and pressed herself against the bars. "He took our keys, what if-"

Inigo gasped, catching on to what the skipper was implying. "You're right! Alameda Slim is bound to realize this sooner or later! His bimbo nephews only thought the keys were weapons, but if he shows them to Slim... This is going to be bad."

"Hey, Phoebe," Tammy cast the winged girl a knowing smirk. "You ready to break us out now?"

The winged girl gulped as everyone, including her sister, gave her a guilty look.

They all knew that Phoebe could easily break them out with her magic, but was she going to trust Mr. Mouse to show up in time and risk arresting the people who called her friend, just to take the keys into the 'right hands' or to trust these guys?

It was already evidence enough that the original owners of the keys were not the most competent, i.e.: Jack Sparrow and Tom Sawyer, and the Frontierland key would probably pass to a new owner.

The odds of it falling into a sane one was little to none since it would probably pass to Pecos Bill or Lucky Jack, the peg leg rabbit from Home on the Range. A better choice would be Pearl Gesner, the old woman who owned "Little Patch of Heaven," but Zelda mentioned she was in cahoots with her since she provided milk and other dairy products, so Mickey would throw that one out.

Yet if she stuck to her new friends, she would commit desertion and break her oath to follow the king's- Mickey's orders.

But what were the mouse's words?: Find a way to stop the attacks and turn in the thief of the Crystal. Nowhere did he say to stay away from them- well not by name...

 _So what now?_ Vanessa's voice echoed through her warring thoughts. She had remained silent ever since she actually helped her fix Tammy's mind, a small favor that the spirit deemed Phoebe deserved.

Phoebe sighed inwardly, "I don't know."

* * *

 ** _Earlier_**

Now I bet your wondering how exactly Phoebe managed to crash into the saloon. Of course the main contributing factor was- you know let's skip that for now, and think of the other variables.

First she was wearing a dress, at least she found some black pantaloons with it, so that was convenient, but she was unused to the feeling of actually flying in it. Then there was the fact that she was still in pain from yesterday's injuries like getting shocked and swallowing a dart that turned her back into a human-avian thing, and transformations _hurt_ like you wouldn't believe, just ask around.

Her wings thus were more sluggish than usual and Phoebe noticed this as she turned her head to see that Tammy was nowhere in sight. She hesitated, and slowed her beating wings.

 _Where'd she go?_

Tammy, out of nowhere, practically dived for her. Colliding with Phoebe with enough force to both fall down to earth, veering off course, and for the both of them to crash through a wooden wall.

Phoebe felt her breath get knocked out of her as her back painfully collided with something hard, and she heard glass crack and some sort of liquid spreading along her back. But Phoebe was too distracted to feel any of the pain as she struggled underneath Tammy's body.

Not knowing what to do, Phoebe brought up her leg and squarely kicked her in her stomach, she underestimated her weight, though, and had thrown all of her might into that kick, sending her sailing to the other side.

Tammy still managed to right herself before she hit the other wall by using her large tawny wings. She released a high-pitched screech in rage.

Chips soared around them as the dust started to settle, and Tammy once again pounced on her.

Phoebe screamed, and opened her own wings and tried to remove the other girl from her without trying to hurt her by simply grabbing her wrists to stop the girl from trying to choke her.

Dear God, how could she restrain her?! Think, think, THINK!

But she didn't have to.

Someone came up from behind Tammy and grabbed one of her wings and threw her off.

Phoebe gasped in relief, but the moment ended when she saw the towering figure before her. The man had a large face with some wicked dark brown sideburns covering the sharp angles of his cheekbones. His eyes burned with rage, and the dark brown hat that covered his face, cast a shadow over them heightening the effect.

"Rico..." Phoebe breathed out. The winged girl suddenly sucked in her breath as she felt something digging into her back, she placed one of her hands on the area and pulled something out, bringing the foreign object in front of her eyes.

It was a shard of glass.

"Hmm," the ex-bounty hunter nodded. He flipped back his jacket to reveal a hidden revolver in his holster, his hand floated nearby, waiting for her to make a move.

Phoebe's eyes widened, she gripped the shard tighter in her hand, ignoring the small stream of blood flowing freely on her back, streaming to where her back met her wings, turning her feathers into a pinkish color.

The former bounty hunter from Home on the Range stood poised ready to strike, but, why? Was a drink really all that would rile him up to fight, or was it something else?

Drew ran up to her sister and helped her sit up, but Phoebe refused her help. "Dude, what the heck! You just burst through a wall!"

Phoebe grunted in pain, and stood up still ignoring Drew.

Zelda appeared on the scene trailing with Despereaux, cocking the shotgun. "We don't need your kind round here, Mister Rico, you're a wanted criminal in all six lands of the Magic Kingdom. Now get out of my bar before I resort to using my little friend here."

Rico had the audacity to snort. He turned around, pistol in hand, but even though Zelda's gun had much more better shot than his, he remained unfazed.

"I'm waiting Mr. Rico. I have the right of any private citizen of these fine thirty nine states to kick you _off_ my property."

"Is that so, Miss Sawyer?" His rather calm voice, broke the ice in room, and everyone's eyes turned to watch the duel that was transpiring before their eyes.

"Because it seems there's a bounty on your head too."

Zelda visibly paled at that, she gripped the shotgun tighter, and felt the butterflies in her stomach take flight.

"A-are you sure?! We all know my skill- Garson, the bottles!" her voice frantically barked.

Garson the bartender placed three bottles on the bar and ducked as Zelda shot and broke each one of them, leaving scattered green and brown glass on the floor.

"Still afraid, sir?"

Rico smirked, he got her. Wasting no time, he whipped out his own revolver and aimed it at Zelda.

"Not at all."

Tammy shook the dizziness out of her head as she watched a familiar looking girl, caught in the headlights as a man pointed his gun at her.

"Edwards, Barnabas, a little help?"

But no man came to Zelda's aid. Everyone in the bar stared at her like she was the last piece of meat on earth. If the moonlighter said what they thought he said, the girl had a bounty on her head, and a bounty meant there was money involved. And money was certainly a hard thing to come by in a simple farmer's town.

So when every man rose from their seats ready to make a nice little profit off of the surrounded girl, Rico put up his hand to stop them.

He turned his steely gaze back at Zelda. "You have something that my boss wants, and I don't think you'll let me take it quietly."

Zelda looked like a deer caught in the headlights as Rico cocked his gun, his finger lightly floating over the trigger. He was waiting for the girl to run like everyone before her, but, no, she didn't run; she just stood there, she didn't even consider using her own shotgun.

This hesitance snapped something inside Tammy and before her mind could process anything, she raced forward and punched Rico straight in his face, knocking the man back.

Tammy felt her mind screaming at her, she heard two voices, one that she recognized, but it seemed so distant and soft that she couldn't possibly hear it with the other voice yelling at her to attack the other winged girl. She suddenly turned her attention back to the other winged girl in the room.

Rico caught himself as he stumbled, but even he couldn't ignore the red welt that was forming on his face. The bounty hunter righted himself and he pulled out another gun he had hidden inside his dusty brown jacket, and pointed it at the owl-winged girl.

Phoebe barely had time to notice that Rico was aiming at Tammy when suddenly said girl lunged at her.

Pushing Drew out of the way, Phoebe sidestepped Tammy's attack.

Lighting up her hands, Phoebe shot a beam of Magic, not at the enraged winged girl, but at the pistols Rico held.

The bounty hunter jerked his hands back as the blue beam struck him. He confusedly felt the revolvers get knocked out of his hand, and watched them skitter across the floor.

"Ha!" Phoebe whooped triumphantly, _hey her magic did come through this time_. But the girl had to duck as Tammy came flying back toward her.

"Oh frick," Phoebe screamed as she jumped back to her feet. She levitated a nearby chair to her and was about to swing at Tammy, but Zelda suddenly appeared right behind her and grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the way. Making Tammy land on four men who were chasing Zelda.

Zelda's appearance broke Phoebe's concentration and the chair fell out of her power's hold.

"What are you doing?!" The southern belle snapped.

"Staying alive, you?!"

"The same thing, but Young's on our side!"

Phoebe rolled her eyes, and was about to comment when suddenly Drew ran over to them.

"Guys, I think hiding behind the bar would be great, don'tcha think?!"

Zelda and Phoebe acquiesced in silent agreement, with Drew taking the lead and Phoebe using a table to shield them as a full blown fight ensued.

Whatever had transpired in that two minute interval, some of the men had argued that they deserved the prize money more than the next guy, so, when Tammy landed on a couple of the guys, she somehow started the fight.

Phoebe slid behind the counter and dropped the table. She hissed in pain as she put a shaking hand to her back. Drew and Zelda sat across from her, but the former stuck her head over the counter to watch the ensuing chaos.

"What's wrong?" Zelda asked in horror at the blood on Phoebe's hands. It wasn't a lot of blood, but just seeing it added a little more realism to their situation. "Don't you know blood is supposed to stay in your body?!"

Phoebe bit back a snarl, "I know that," but that couldn't stop the sarcasm in her voice. "Tell that to Tammy!"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Please, she meant no harm to you, you just made her mad, that's all."

"I am bleeding here, and you're defending her?!"

"Well is she bleeding? Hmm?"

Phoebe sighed heavily, "You're impossible."

Zelda beamed. "There's the magic word."

"Excuse me?"

"The fixed point in time of course! I was waiting for you to say it; because if you didn't then the whole universe would have ceased to exist."

"What does that even mean?"

"I can help you now!" Zelda clapped enthusiastically. She popped her neck and her fingers, and proceeded to pull medical supplies from underneath the counter, but her hand lingered on a red button; of which she pushed.

"This is my bar after all, I do have everything I need. Tammy and Inigo insured that, and being the granddaughter of Apollo, the god of medicine, I assure you I can help! Plus, backup is on the way."

The southern belle, looked down at her articles of clothing and realized this wasn't suitable at all for medical practices, so making a slouched twirl, her clothing turned back into her jeans and buckskin jacket.

"Now before I begin- know this: I'm not the medic in the team, I just know a little bit of the basics, injuries are Tammy's specialty, but we'll have to make do with me."

"Great," Phoebe mumbled. She turned her back towards Zelda so she could work her magic.

Zelda inspected the wound and was almost relieved to find that the damage was not bad, if anything, the material of her dress had taken most of the damage, hence the tear in the fabric, but one shard must have cut through the skin and had caused some blood to escape.

All that really needed to be taken care of was the few bits of glass that were sticking out. At least with the opening being in the back, if she pulled out any, of the glass no major arteries or organs would be cut in the process, but they didn't need to be pulled out immediately.

"Drew, status report," Zelda called out.

"Hey, you can't boss her around she's my-"

"Stuff it, Fifi," Drew snapped. The girl curiously peered over the bar, but she had to duck as something sailed right at her.

What was happening on the outside had certainly intensified tenfold. From Drew's perspective, the girl could see that a large man had shown up from nowhere followed by a set of twins.

Rico, after losing both of his revolvers was in his own little scuffle just trying to retrieve them.

A majority of the occupants of the saloon did have their own pistols, but as the fight escalated to the end of the first act, many gave up using their empty barrels and turned to bare knuckles or the surrounding furniture, mirroring Phoebe's earlier attempts.

Tammy, though stood at the middle of the fight. Five men had surrounded her, trying to bring her down, when they realized she had a bounty on her head as well, but her muddled brain made all her movements, extremely animalistic and unpredictable, leaving them in a fight for their lives.

"Um, there is a fight happening."

"Perceptive as always," Phoebe grumbled underneath her breath.

"Say something nice sweetie, you don't give her enough confidence," Zelda remarked. She tried to wipe off the little drop of blood that slid onto her hand as she pressed a cloth over Phoebe's wound, but it stayed imprinted on her skin like a tattoo.

Odd.

"Okay, your fine." Zelda tapped Phoebe's shoulder getting her attention. "You're ready to go back out there."

Phoebe stared dumbfounded at her. "What was wrong?"

"Tis a mere flesh wound. All you need is a Band-Aid, as my colleague, Young, would say."

Phoebe mentally slapped herself. She really needed to stop being so whiny about the smallest things.

Suddenly someone slammed some guy's body on the counter, causing the three girls hiding behind it to flinch and jump up, simultaneously.

Drew stared at the short, scruffy dark-haired man. "It's okay, he's resting."

Zelda and Phoebe shared a look, but didn't say anything.

"So, we probably need to step in before things get even more out of hand."

Phoebe nodded. "Okay, I'll use magic, you'll use the shotgun- let's go!" The girl was about to pull herself over the counter, but Zelda grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back down.

"Not so fast sweetie, I can't use it."

"Ow!" Phoebe complained. "Why not?!"

"It's filled with blanks."

"Can I ask why?"

"It's 'may.'"

Phoebe felt like hitting something, but she resisted the urge. "Fine, _may_ I know why?"

"It's full of blanks." Zelda exclaimed listlessly. "I might have used blanks as a sort of 'warning.' You know I just wanted to inspire fear, not actually kill."

Drew giggled. "That's why there were no holes in the ceiling, that's really creative."

"But I do have a reliable piece of hickory."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Whatever works, it's your bar. Even if you have to use forks or something, just do it."

"You're right! I shall use the forks!" Drew cheerily exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips.

"Drew-" Phoebe started.

"Sorry, we don't have forks," Zelda shrugged, interrupting her.

"Sporks?"

Zelda shook her head.

Drew sighed. "Spoons?"

"Nope."

"Time to go skin to skin then." Drew slammed her fist into her open palm.

Phoebe shook her head vehemently. "You're not going to fight- if you freaking _die._ "

Zelda sighed heavily and stood up to her full height. She easily towered over the two crouching sisters.

"No one is going to die with that attitude, reinforcements are coming. Don't _panic_ , we have things under control."

Except they didn't. Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but by standing up, speaking with that loud, authoritative voice, immediately every pair of eyes floated towards her.

"Well, well, well, if it ain't Miss Sawyer, come to grace our presence?" Alameda Slim proclaimed, smiling in a devious way, making his large fat face try and make some space for him to flash his crooked teeth.

He stood prominently at the entrance of the saloon, trying to act all suave as if he'd been waiting for her to show her face.

Zelda quickly twirled around and her jeans and buckskin jacket turned into her vermillion southern belle dress, and pointed at herself. "Me? No, why I do declare I'm Melanie Ravenswood."

The two Willie Brothers, noticeably missing another sibling, simultaneously exclaimed, "Hey, where'd she go?"

"You idiots," their uncle bellowed. "That _is_ Miss Sawyer! She just changed clothes, like when I- oh never mind!"

"Let's cut to the chase, missy."

Alameda cleared his throat and took off his hat, letting his long red hair go. "Ma'am, it's seems you're in possession of a little key. Now, don't lie, we all know you have it, how else could you leave the world of Frontierland?"

"But here's the thing little lady..." Alameda's wolfish grin grew across his greasy face, even the permanent dark shadows underneath his eyes seemed to grin maliciously at her as well. "If you give me that there key, peacefully, I'll trade it for your papa."

What little blood had remained in Zelda's face, disappeared. Even the bright spark of intelligence in her eyes seemed to die as she processed his words. "Papa..."

"M-hm. Your old man, was captured awhile back, and my generous contractor will return him to ya, just for the price of that little key."

Zelda felt the cold metal of the key against her warm flesh, reminded her of its presence.

A key for a father.

Her hand clasped around the key, holding it protectively against her chest. Zelda stared into the coppery eyes of the fat man, and could instantly see a vision flashing across her eyes.

 _She saw her father in front of her, sitting at the head of the table where she had been sitting since his absence. No more did an empty chair mar her sight, a place at the table that was always set, but never used._

 _Had it been really one year since he disappeared? Her brothers were turning into men and her father wasn't there, her only sister finally learned how to cook her first dish, and her father still wasn't there._

 _Still watching her dream, Zelda could see the worry lines across her aunt's face disappear, only to be replaced by laughter, and mirth flowed through out it. Her mother of thirty-four, no longer flashed her eyes at the empty chair, instead her and her husband shared a loving gaze._

 _And it was in that moment when Zelda realized that the silent thought she would never voice was right. Her father was dead. He had been for a while, she had been in his role for a while now, and his loss was already felt the moment he left. Yet now, as she watched an alternate time line flash before her eyes; she wouldn't have grown as much as she did._

 _Her father's death wouldn't be in vain. If he passed along the key to her it was for a reason, not because her knew Death was coming for him- no; it was her time._

 _Zelda felt herself blink away a tear as a new vision popped into her head, she saw someone, he made his presence known, but the cowgirl couldn't describe him, he was so mismatched, so different, everything about the figure was heartbreaking._

 _All she could distinctly remember from him was his eye; it was sea green with a bright blue surrounding his pupil. She didn't notice his mouth moved, but what he said didn't match the words that formed on his lips._

 _He was soon joined by two more voices, one older and the other just a little bit older than the original one. Two more persons appeared, and they stood on either side of the bizarre figure. Zelda watched in morbid fascination as they seemed to meld into the body of one man, adding even a bigger contrast to the eclectic man. Yet as the faces became one, their faces matched one another, their cheekbones and even chins mirrored on each side, but that green-blue eye remained- his only eye._

 _But there words were something Zelda couldn't decipher, it was like hearing someone speak in tongues- both frightening and jumbled up to her ears._

 _"What are you saying?!"_

 _The middle figure with the one eye grinned, flashing his dazzling white teeth._

 _"Keep your_ eye _on the stars."_

Zelda blinked a second time and whatever she had seen flowed away, like when the tide rushes away from the shore, leaving behind only small traces that it was ever there.

The spark in her eyes returned like a flash of lighting, leaving Phoebe to wonder if the light in her eyes was controlled rage or just her way trying to hold back her wanton tears.

"No deal. The sheriff will be here soon, and you better hope he isn't packing heat."

Slim snorted. "Willie boys, where is your third brother?"

The two remaining men looked at each other. "You mean there's another one of us?"

Slim slapped his face in annoyance. He tried his hardest to control the scream he was going to release "Yes, he wears the blue bandana."

"Oh, ol' bluey, why didn't you say so?"

Slim's face turned a dark shade of purple, "YOU IDIOTS, I DID SAY SO!"

"HEY YOU SON OF A MOTHERLESS GOAT SOME PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO HAVE A NICE DAY!" Lauren's voice boomed across the saloon, making people pause mid-swing; even Tammy had let go of the poor man she had beaten senseless.

The two sister, both had their faces red and angry, with Phoebe's wings bristling.

The skipper held open the two swinging saloon doors, with her arms spread out like when Gandalf sacrificed himself by fighting the Balrog in the mines of Moria, just without the wizard staff.

"Lauren," Zelda regarded her with a guarded expression. "We are in dire need of your services, do you mind cleaning up?"

The dark-haired girl nodded. "Do you really need to ask that any more?"

She pulled out one of her knives and threw it at Alameda Slim.

The knife glided through the air, sliding right through his hat, pinning it to the wall.

"Lauren- he's mine," Zelda snapped. "Give me a couple of your shells."

Lauren smirked, "Alright, just don't take all the fun." The girl threw her a pack of ammunition.

"Don't worry, you get everyone else, you may use those two over there," Zelda gestured towards the two gawking sisters. "And get my family out of here."

"Now wish me luck," Zelda muttered, loading Despereaux with practiced ease. Let's see if all of Uncle Huck's training didn't go to waste.

"Mr. Slim, I hope you send a message to my father."

Meanwhile, Phoebe warily eyed the skipper. Nothing moved, except her, and it was going to stay that way until she said so. That was how much her presence affected everyone.

"So, Phoebe, we've never properly met. I'm Lauren. You're Phoebe. You messed up my friend's mind. Now you're going to fix her."

Her gaze was poignant, and yet motherly at the same time.

When Phoebe didn't move, Lauren rolled her eyes, making her seem less threatening. "You swine, you're sister will be fine; Tammy won't."

Phoebe flinched, that comment hit home. She had made an egregious decision when she decided to run. Listening to her flight instincts were wrong; it might surprise people, but that particular instinct was one that always screamed the loudest, and she seldom listened to it. So now when she finally did, now she had to face the music.

And in that moment, Tammy in a bizarre scratchy voice screeched, "Phoeeebeee!"

"Okay..." Phoebe gulped, mentally pulling up her big girl pants, and cautiously walked up to Tammy, who had stopped her ceasefire and was beating another man senselessly into the wall.

The winged girl cringed imagining herself being that man.

God, it sometimes surprised her the lengths she would go to try and fix her mistakes, or even prove to others that she could handle anything they threw at her. And right now seemed to be the day she had to push back her screaming instincts and try and fix whatever damage she had done to Tammy.

Hopefully it wasn't too serious, her knowledge on healing people with Magic was worse than her limited supply of friends, as you may have noticed.

Lauren turned to Phoebe's sister. "Drew, stand by me, this is fighting 101. Take my bowie knife- in case you need it; now watch my movements."

The fearless skipper threw herself into the melee like it was nothing. Despite her average height, Lauren's main advantages in a fight were her strength that came from her built arms and her powerful legs. In this situation, she went for a more traditional approach, refusing the two swords strapped on her back or the other long knives she had hidden on her.

"An expert fighter must control their strength," Lauren remarked, as she landed a hard blow to a freckled face man- knocking him down in the process.

"Don't waste your time pummeling the guy."

Another man came up behind her and tried to grab one of her swords. The girl grabbed his arm as he encircled her neck, but she reacted quickly and managed to take off his arm and twisted it with enough force for something to snap.

Drew flinched when Lauren let the man go. Phoebe's sister felt her mouth drop when she saw the angle his arm was now in; the man had screamed in agony and he blacked out on the spot.

But Lauren continued, without the slightest hesitation.

"Aim for places where the internal organs are like the kidneys or pressure points which are pretty much anywhere underneath bone- ribs are a great example-"

The skipper grabbed an adjacent chair and came up behind two men who were fighting over the money of the cash register.

"In a fight without a weapon use your resources- your sister is a master at this."

They were both wrestling on the floor, but the larger man was on top of the smaller man and was punching the man in his nose that blood spilled out, staining the wooden floors.

Lauren then brought the chair high over her head and swung it down on the larger man's back, making him switch his attention to her.

He was about to stand up, when suddenly she landed him a lighting fast quick to his groin, leaving him to fall painfully on his side. "Men might be bigger and larger, but they have weak spots too."

Lauren seized the other man, who was awake- but dazed, by his collar and dragged him out of the saloon. "And remember, we're not trying to kill the swine- just faze him long enough for us to run."

Several men had already run out the saloon, more due to Lauren's presence, but now only eight remained, and they were without a doubt the biggest, burliest men this side of the Pecos.

The skipper dusted herself off and admired her work, not even bothered by them. "So what did we learn?"

Drew didn't know whether to be shocked that she had witnessed a girl who was shorter than her do more damage in two minutes or that she was taking notes.

"A lot."

Lauren smiled. "Yay, but we gotta get the innocents out of here. Zel's family is upstairs, run up and get them out of here. I have a boat that they can escape on- we'll just have to improvise on a mode of transportation."

Drew saluted, "Yes, ma'am."

"Just don't use the knife unless it's absolutely necessary, and if the weapon isn't you it's okay we'll find one for you later."

* * *

Zelda cocked her shotgun. "Any last requests, Mistuh Slim?"

"You think you've won, little missy?! All cuz you got a couple of angels and a tomboy?! Well, it ain't over till the fat man sings!"

Using inhuman speed Zelda didn't think he possessed, he moved out of range and even out of sight!

"YODEL-EY-YHOO!" He belted out, a guitar appeared in his hands and his orange buckaroo shirt turned all glittery.

Zelda sighed. "I forgot he could do that. Phoebe, hurry up with Tammy!"

The cowgirl screamed as Slim reached for her necklace, but she slapped his hand away/ "Manners, sir!"

The sounds of hundreds of cattle's thundering hooves drowned out the sound of any commotion in the saloon; the walls of the building started to shake as twenty bovine erupted through the doors, with another Willie brother riding atop one of the hypnotized cattle.

Phoebe, yes, she was still alive, had managed to once again thrash about in her struggle.

Tammy was without a doubt faster, stronger, and much more adept at a fight than Phoebe. And all the girl wanted was to restrain her for her to test out her magic!

But some of Tammy's movements were sluggish and not focused. Her eyes were having trouble with the bright sunlight that streamed from the hole they had created and the open windows.

If her mind wasn't entirely there, then she could certainly take the advantage and Magic appeared like the only asset she could use. It would have to be quick, though.

But when a cow barreled right in between her and Tammy, Phoebe suddenly had the weirdest idea.

Phoebe, with her magic, pinned Tammy against the wall, then with her other hand a blue aura appeared around the cow's horns and forced them to into the sides around Tammy's shoulders. The cow was momentarily knocked out of his spell and loudly mooed in protest of his new position.

The crazed winged girl struggled against the cow's horns, and tried to force them out, but they were wedged in real deep.

Phoebe sighed, but she knew she wasn't done yet. Once again lifting her hand, the green-eyed girl felt a white light coming out of her hand.

"I'm sorry, I should never have run- let alone leave you like this."

 _"Girl, her body rejected the change, it was nothing you did_ ," the lady in her head offering her a rare word of comfort.

"Rejected? That's a thing?"

 _"Most mere mortals don't survive, she survived thanks to her godly blood. You just need to force the change."_

"Force?" Phoebe gulped. "Like _the_ Force or force force."

Vanessa didn't answer; in other words she had given her the equivalent of the cold shoulder.

Rolling her eyes, Phoebe peered curiously at a minor detail she had not seen before. Tammy's right hand looked like it was tattooed with blood.

A memory resurfaced in her head.

 _"We're bound by blood now. I guess that makes us blood buddies now."_

"So I made a deal without knowing it? But I didn't keep it..." Phoebe's eyes widened in realization. "Wait. Oh... OH- that's hydroxide by the way."

"Tam, I live up to my promise and I am here for you-" Phoebe felt her eyes glow white and she grasped her right hand. Their clasped hands released a blue light that spread all across the place around everyone, pausing many people mid-swing and mid-song, the cows even snapped out of their hypnosis, but Slim quickly resumed the song.

Lauren came up behind Phoebe and hugged her. "You did it!"

Tammy, though, her face was scrunched up in confusion as she took in her makeshift jail. "Okay, what the crap just happened... And why do I have wings? Phoebe, Lauren, why are there cows everywhere?"

"Welcome back you swine, this little twat brought you back," Lauren gestured to Phoebe.

"Sup."

"Uh-huh, so can you guys get me out?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes as they flashed white, and the cow was easily pulled out like a grape from the vine.

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, let's get outta here; I'm hungry and in the mood for a jar of Nutella- seriously you don't want to see me when I'm hangry."

"I already see it," Phoebe mumbled under her breath.

Lauren gave her a glare, but didn't say anything. "Oi, we still have Slim, and Zelda is taking a beating out of that greasy fat man."

Phoebe turned her gaze to see Zelda in the middle of a circle of cows. Slim was still singing- sorry, yodeling that awful song and he was using the bovine as a way for the girl not to escape.

"Okay, we need to break the spell."

Phoebe and Tammy shared a look, and made a silent agreement. The two of them flew in the middle of the circle of cattle, and stood in front of their friend.

"Alameda, leave this place, Zelda Sawyer is under the protection of Magic -"

"Yeah," Tammy chimed in. "And her merry band too."

"Young, you're okay?!" Zelda asked, curiously gawking at the girl's wings

Slim halted his yodeling, interrupting Tammy's response.

"Really? Well Little Miss Magic, I heard all about you. How you defeated a couple of villains- but can you handle my art of yodeling and the powers behind it? Cuz your too late! Cows attack!" he yodeled.

Phoebe snorted. "Cows can't attack us! they're friendly cre- Frick." Her and Tammy instinctually grabbed Zelda's arms and jumped high into the air holding onto one of the rafters as the cows charged to where they had been standing mere seconds before.

"So, any smart ideas, y'all?"

* * *

"Alright," Drew emerged from the back of the stage and approached Lauren, who had been waiting for her to return.

"I'm ready to fight! But your bowie knife might've broken, but don't worry, Phoebe will gladly pay you back."

Lauren eyed Drew curiously. "Mhhm... I have a good weapon for you..." her eyes flitted toward the piano sitting right beside the stage.

"Do you know how to play piano?"

Drew shrugged. "I know a couple son-"

"Play them all."

"But-"

"You want something to do? Be the inspirational music- no one ever dies, but everyone will remember you, regardless."

"Okay..."

Drew, contrary to popular belief played more than one instrument. She was a virtuoso in every right, but sometimes people never realized that she could be so talented on an instrument she just picked up: piano.

So when the first few measures of the Entertainer tinkled out of the worn piano, Drew's fingers danced across the ebony keys, letting the ragtime piano create the mood for a good old fashioned fight.

"Boys stop that girl!"

"Yes, Uncle Slim!" the triplets voice rang out.

"Guys, we need to drown him out!" Phoebe eyed Zelda's clothes. "Can you switch back to your southern belle dress? Tammy, grab her and fly her out in the streets."

"Why on earth-"

Phoebe didn't let her finish as she jumped down to where Drew was playing the piano, a force field erupting from her hand, stopping any of the cattle or any triplets from stopping her sister.

"Lauren, how's your singing voice?"

"Good, enough-"

"Okay, start! We need Slim to get angry! I can't hold this up for much longer."

Lauren hesitated, "How do you make up lyrics?!"

"Just sing the melody!" Phoebe screamed through gritted teeth, watching as more cattle rammed their horns into her energy field.

"I hear you screaming!" Lauren acquainted herself with the song and opened her mouth and let the music stream out of her mouth.

"Perfect! I'm gonna drop the field!"

True to her word, Phoebe dropped the field and using her magic she levitated a bottle from the rack decorating the wall and sent one sailing into Slim's mouth, halting the flow of his yodeling.

The spell was immediately broken and several if not all the cows looked around dazed and confused

"Tammy, now!" Phoebe ordered, and watched as the other winged girl held onto Zelda's arms and flew her around the saloon, causing the cows to immediately divert their attention to her.

Then once their eyes trained on Zelda's bright red dress, Tammy sped out of the saloon, and soon, the herd of cattle raced out of the building and out into the streets after them.

Setting her down, once they were clear, Zelda switched back into her cowgirl outfit and ran with Tammy in tow, back into the saloon.

Alameda spit out the bottle and was about to start his yodeling when suddenly Phoebe rushed to his side and stuffed his mouth with a rag she found nearby.

Phoebe was soon joined by the rest of the girls, and they all smirked at Alameda as they tied him up.

Zelda, though, took the honor of slapping him across his face with her glove.

"You dirty stinking yank, if the sheriff was here, he'd-"

"I'm right here ma'am." A calm and collected voice rang out.

An older gentleman that Phoebe didn't recognize stepped out into her view. Dressed in a faded yellow shirt and green bandana, with his sheriff star shining brightly over his heart.

"Now, what in tarnation is going on?"

Zelda immediately spoke up, "Well you see-"

"No, not you, ma'am. But stay where you are, you are under arrest for harboring wanted criminals, being a criminal, and disturbing the peace of this fair town!" Everyone's eyes, save for Alameda's became as round as saucers.

"Willie Blue, come and help me round up the rest of 'em."

One of the Willie Brothers stepped into view, and on his shirt, stood prominently the brass star that marked him as a deputy.

Phoebe and the rest of the girls gasped. "Wait, no, your honor- sheriff- whatever, there's been a misunderst-"

"Right you are, little lady," the sheriff huffed, putting on handcuffs around Phoebe's wrists and everybody else's.

Phoebe flinched and felt her entire life flash before her eyes. She was done; every good deed she had ever completed was now stained. Wow, getting arrested, what a great tale to tell to the kids- not.

"This fine gentleman," the sheriff continued. "Was presenting a wonderful ode to yodeling and you just ruined it. Y'all should be ashamed of yourselves; all because you're wanted criminals, you don't need to be going around ruining _art_. And two of y'all are angels, what has this day come to."

Willie Blue released his corpulent uncle and grabbed Phoebe's shoulder along with Drew, leading them away from the saloon.

Lauren, Tammy, and Zelda were shocked that Phoebe didn't want to stand up and fight or come up with a plan to escape; that they were left speechless. So, when the sheriff and his deputy cuffed them and marched them over to the town jail on the other side of the street, they didn't lift a finger to try and fight.

"I'm sorry, sir, I personally will see these girls returned to the proper authorities-"

"Wait, that one has something that belongs to me," Slim pointed an accusatory finger at Zelda.

"Don't worry, sir," the sheriff exclaimed. "We'll return everything that belongs to you as soon as we take care of all these cattle. Makes me wonder what caused 'em to spring out of their pens and such- now what was your name again?"

Alameda paled and started slowly backing away, "Mister O'Del, sir."

The sheriff smiled, clueless to who this man really was. "Well, Mr. O'Del you have a fine nephew- not all there, but he's a real nice one, I'll tell you what."

* * *

 ** _Present_**

These girls certainly were a mystery to Phoebe, yet she felt oddly inclined to trust them. Everything they said, despite how eccentric it might've seemed out of context. They were so open, it just nagged at Phoebe so much.

All her life, she met people who were always hiding something, even here in Disney, they liked to hide their secrets. They treated her like an equal, they waited for her to give opinions and asked her to speak among their group. Everyone was certainly amicable and easy to talk to, they accepted her without question. And yet why was that so hard to accept that?

She had made up with Kaitlyn, after all. But was she ready for friendship again? Could she trust these people? Could Phoebe admit it- but were these people treating her like a friend would- should?

And maybe that was the only reason Phoebe had found that she did not hate them. No, not even dislike, she found them odd, but in a good way, a strange weird way, and dare she say it?

She enjoyed their company, but even then she couldn't stop herself from saying something contentious.

"You guys are insane..."

"No, insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again expecting different results," Elise explained.

Inigo raised an eyebrow, "Are you quoting Einstein?"

"No, I'm quoting myself; you just seem to always give credit to people who don't even exist."

Tammy leisurely cast a look at Phoebe, probably the only girl in the group, minus Drew, who understood the modern world.

"You know they're not insane. It may seem like it, but I think their insanity is their normal... Well our normal, now that I think about it."

Elise leaned over to listen in on their whispering. "And insanity is just our way of being sincere."

"We may be different with all our unusual eccentricities and time periods and cultures," Zelda added, as their voices started getting louder. "But the shared link of insanity is what pull us together. Some call it the rule of the gods, the Fates, destiny, but-"

"All we really know is that it's friendship," Lauren finished. "We may not be perfect, but our own faults are overshadowed by everybody else's talents. That's how we are; we're a team, simple as that. Have you ever been part of one, Phoebe?"

The winged girl shrugged, her mental barriers were slowly starting to melt away. "No, I haven't- maybe baseball and that one weird three month thing with swimming, but nothing with any of the _insanity_ you guys function on," she admitted, adding a little light-hearted sarcasm to her tone.

Elise patted Phoebe's shoulder sweetly. "Come to think of it, you are quite insane as well. No wonder you've had trouble.

"Gee, thanks, Elise," Phoebe grumbled with as much sarcasm as possible. "Next, I bet you'll insult me on my clothes again."

"Now, Phoebe, your day-to-day choices for clothing can be discussed later."

Phoebe felt the hair's on the back of her neck rise, and she suddenly felt Lauren's strong, but comforting hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, she's about to make a point."

Phoebe allowed her anger to simmer down and crossed her arms defiantly, trying to make it look like Elise's previous comment had not put a dent in her ego.

"Well, you see Phoebe," Elise continued. "Trying to be logical is your own level of insanity, it almost doesn't make sense. I mean we all have different insanities there's Zelda she's so full of joy and life- the spirit of our group; there's Lauren the protector, she always makes sure we get out of a fight alive- no matter the cost."

"Then there's me, very organized, never a paper out of place, nor thought; I make sure all of us are tip-top shape. Inigo, well, he's just insane, sure he sees the good in everyone, but those are not qualities necessary for the many crimes we have plagued humanity with... And then there's Tammy, she's the true warrior, she shows no mercy whether on the battlefield or the one of the tongue."

Inigo shook his head in light disappointment of Elise's description about him, but he couldn't help but feel like that was probably going to be the best compliment she would ever give him credit to.

"She's right, though, you want to believe one thing and can't possibly believe that there sometimes are things that aren't supposed to make sense, and you are Magic. You can change the very rules of the universe for logic's sake, but no."

"Sooo," Phoebe stood up, briefly enjoying the moment of being taller than everyone for a second. "You're telling me, that being who I am, I shouldn't confine myself to logic and say: What fun is there in making sense?!"

"Haven't you done that in the past?" Lauren inquired, she nudged Drew on her side.

The tall brunette jumped. "Yeah, you would literally die if you don't do something insanely clever whenever we're about to die."

"Well... They don't always work do they?" Phoebe argued.

"Oh, you shut up," Lauren snapped. "Your track records damn good. Planning things on the spot is a sweet talent, and it's weird how it's your main skill- not magic. I've met my fair share of invisible wizards and powerful enchantresses, but they are nothing compared to your five second plans. I pity the poor guy who you're seeking revenge on... Have you ever considered being an assassin?"

"Not helping," Inigo mumbled.

"Any way," Lauren waved off Inigo's comment. "Have you ever thought that your brains/logic- whatever it is- it's a great gift. We'd love to have you around, I may speak for the group, but you are already part of us. Your assistance today only proves it."

"And Phoebe... You do know we don't have an expert in magic, just quite yet," Elise added. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Phoebe's face dropped her scowl and her green eyes seemed to sparkle with hope.

"Really?" Phoebe asked before she could snuff that ray of hope that was forming in her heart.

"Of course! Why do you think we were so determined on to make sure you signed that book?"

Phoebe snorted, "Okay, but after this is all done, you guys are gonna tell me everything about y'all."

"Oh and since not all of us can fly, if we escape, what's our mode of transportation?"

Zelda and Lauren smirked, sharing a fleeting glance at each other. "Don't worry," the cowgirl assured her, her voice rang with the slightest hint of laughter. "We'll take care of it."

"So, friends?" Phoebe hesitantly asked. She stood in front of Zelda and held out her hand, waiting for her to shake it.

"Friends." Zelda confirmed and watched as the two shook hands. Everyone's eyes lit up as a blue light surrounded their clasped hands and just like that, the place where that single drop of blood had fallen on her skin disappeared.

"We are bound by blood." Phoebe felt herself whisper the same words she had said to Tammy right before she got her wings, and now, it was Zelda's turn.

The cowgirl watched with fascination in her eyes as the light started to seep into her. She felt a little light headed but the sensation passed as quickly as it had begun.

"So, now what?"

Phoebe shrugged. "I don't really know. Maybe you'll get a power or something, Vanessa isn't being very specific."

Zelda sighed listlessly. "I was hoping for something to happen immediately."

"No you don't..." Tammy's voice rang, reminding the two of them that they weren't alone.

"Just do your thing, I want to get the bloody hell out of here." Lauren remarked, she stepped away from the bars, grabbing the back of Inigo's collar to pull him away from the lock.

Phoebe eyed the lock curiously, she wondered what approach she should take. There was always her energy blasts, but since she never actually hit her target she didn't know if they would break solid steel. Also, she could melt it, but then again she's never tried that either.

The winged girl turned around and let her eyes wander the room, from the window to the girls and Inigo, but her eyes rested on the bed.

"Get off the bed."

"Excuse me? But I claimed it first!" Zelda crossed her arms in a defiant manner.

"Not like that- now shoo-" Phoebe gestured her hands to wave Elise and Zelda off. The two begrudgingly got up from the bed and stood off to the side.

"Inigo, I need eyes."

"One of the triplets is still there, you need a distraction."

Phoebe nodded and climbed on the bed, using it as height to reach the window. Checking the surrounding she saw quite a bunch of people scattered about chasing cattle, trying in vain to herd them.

A ball of blue lit up her fingertips and Phoebe aimed her hand at a barrel she spotted on the opposite side of the street. She let loose the ball of energy and watched as it's wooden frame exploded, imitating the sound of a gunshot. The sound was so unexpected, many of the townspeople started screaming in fear as they shouted something about aliens or Indian spirits.

"Elise, scream."

The girl was cut off by her order. "Absolutely not, I am a refined heiress and will not stoop so low to screams like a-"

Phoebe rolled her eyes, she knew she didn't have much time and needed to think of something quick.

"You have a crush on Inigo."

The winged girl didn't know what was more frightening, the way the flapper's voice rose into the highest falsetto she had ever heard, or the look of bloody murder that outlined every cell on her face.

"Hey, now what's going on now?" The blue-bandana wearing Willie Brother, approached their cell.

Tammy covered the girl's mouth and pointed out a window. "Them Indian spirits are acting up again, somebody's got to go investigate, real quick-like before God knows what rains fire and brimstone on this here town."

Phoebe smirked, who knew the modern girl could mimic the Southern accent so well? It must have something to do with Zelda and her being thicker than thieves.

The triplet put a large hand on the side of one of his mammoth ears. "Why, you're right."

"Maybe, you should go out there and check it out?" Zelda yelled out.

"Now, why should I do that?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes, the bumbling oaf was getting on her nerves, and she needed him gone five seconds ago. "Hey, I think your Uncle Slim is calling you."

"He is?! Well land's sake, why didn't you say so?!" The triplet screamed, and raced out the door. "I'M COMIN' UNCLE SLIM!"

Phoebe didn't waste one second and barked orders left and right, directing her associates. She wasn't actually used to this, but the gnawing feeling of a clever idea was brewing inside of her, and when her determination was flowing through her veins, she was indeed an unstoppable force.

"Tammy, Zelda, pick up that side-" she gestured to the bed.

Zelda's eyes widened as she realized what Phoebe was planning, and followed the winged girl's demands.

"Lauren get the other."

"Straight up now, Lauren, you have the butt-end, make sure to level it out."

"Zelda, you're the tallest, get the foot of the bed underneath that bar. Okay, now all of you push up-"

 _Shling_

The sound of the metal bars sliding off the hinges was a comforting sign to the winged girl. She snapped her fingers, pointing to Drew and Inigo, and had them grab the bars of the gate before it fell over.

Drew, being the strongest of the three, took most of the weight and set it down gently.

Lauren came up to Phoebe and tackled her in a hug, which made the short girl extremely awkward.

"Clever girl."

Phoebe blushed, "Just a little Will Turner trick," still stuck in her bear hug. She felt even more violated as Zelda, Drew, Tammy, and even Inigo moved in for a group hug.

Elise, who had not lifted one finger to help, was the first to escape the cell, heading toward the desk, making sure to sidestep her friends.

"Finally! I almost resorted to madness!"

The flapper flung open each drawer and spilled out its contents. "Here they are!" Elise announced, triumphantly and brought out five necklaces, each one containing a key.

"Hug first, Elise!"

Elise made a sour-face. "Please, I don't think physical affection is quite appropriate right now, or ever."

"Move the hug!" Lauren ordered.

And soon all of them, Phoebe was stuck in the middle of it and had no means of escape, went along with the huddle. Zelda was in the outside and managed to grab Elise and pull her in.

Elise struggled, but she was easily the weakest of the group and they subdued her.

"I hate all of you."

Phoebe smirked. "Join the club, we have jackets."

Tammy was the first to release the hug and turned to a small closet.

"Now who here has the shotgun, three pistols, laser gun, umbrella, Chinese throwing stars, five knives, a katana, saber, brass knuckles, jacket, a backpack, and is this a grenade?"

The group hug broke up as everyone started collecting their assortment of weapons.

Drew and Phoebe were the only ones who didn't need anything, they just watched Elise grabbing her parasol, Zelda grabbing Despereaux and a small knife, Inigo his laser gun, but the strangest sight was seeing Lauren putting on her jacket and putting all of her weaponry back into their original place.

Lauren's long black coat contained many pockets, some large, others small. It almost surprised Phoebe that she had this much, comical, really, but then again it was Disney, and anything can happen.

"Hey, Drew, did you bring the dagger?" Phoebe asked as she looked through the pile of remaining knives that Lauren had yet to stow away.

"Nope, it's on the island." the girl replied, she was going through the sheriff's stuff and procured a brass star that she placed on her faded pink dress, but she decided against it and pinned it on her neon green headband that she made out of her old shirt.

"Thank God, we have enough to worry about."

Zelda, meanwhile had positioned herself at the window, and checked for any sign of anyone approaching.

"Hey y'all, there's three horses parked out front. Personally I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but we have a mode of transportation.

"Cool beans. Okay we'll split up," Phoebe directed them, she had no idea where this sense of leadership was coming from, and she realized this almost immediately.

"Um Zelda, I think you should take over on what to do, I don't know this place really well."

Zelda snorted. "I was going to say... but I think splitting up is a good idea. Alright Phoebe, you and Tammy will take to the skies for aerial support. We'll meet ya'll at the island, and we'll ride through the northern tunnels. Y'all should get there first, so Tammy can you get the horses out of the tunnels? I sent them homeward, but they can't get out without some help."

"And one more thing," Zelda turned to Phoebe and gave her a gaze of respect. "I'm not the leader here, you know, we are an oligarchy of sorts, each one of us serves as the leader now and then, no need to shy away. We are your company as much as you are our own."

Zelda turned away and hopped onto one of the horses. Lauren put on a backpack and Elise opened the main pocket and climbed inside, then she climbed onto another horse. Inigo climbed on the remaining horse, but he fumbled while getting on since he was still learning how to ride.

Drew groaned when she realized there were no more horses left, but Zelda outstretched her hand and pulled her on her horse. Sitting right behind her, Drew situated herself more comfortably and grabbed the back of Zelda's jacket just in case she needed to hold on.

"Magic's company," Elise chuckled from Lauren's backpack. the interior of which was magical and could fit anything, and it was her main form of transportation. Rather like Chewbacca carrying C3P0.

"That has an odd ring to it, but I like it."

Inigo nodded his head. "Hey, maybe one day if we survive, thirty years from now we should write a book called Adventures of Magic and Company."

"Title drop."

"What?" Drew asked muttering in Zelda's ear.

"Well, if we're going to record our adventures, surely we would mention this very conversation, so I say it now: title drop."

Phoebe rolled her eyes in a light-hearted fashion. "Never change, Zelda, never change."

Zelda laughed. "Thanks for that, see ya at home."

Home. How funny for the place she once saw as a prison now turned into her new home. Fate had a cruel sense of irony, indeed.

Phoebe nodded. "Alright, Tammy, you fly first, so you can lead the way. I'll stay on your six for cover."

Tammy nodded, "Just don't lose me, I can be fast."

Phoebe glared at her. "I've noticed."

Tammy shaped her hands into a heart, as an apology. "Sorry about earlier."

"My fault." Phoebe raised her hand to stop her from going on. "I should've completed the spell back in the wind mill."

"Yeah, you jerk, see you at home." Tammy snidely commented, but Phoebe knew she meant no offense and watched her as she jump and easily catched the wind.

Phoebe shook her head. "Oh you. We'll see you guys, " the winged girl turned to her friends on horseback.

"Bye Phoebe!" Their voices rang in unison.

"Take care of Drew."

Her sister rolled her eyes. "It's you who we have to keep safe, you turd."

Phoebe flashed her a genuine smile. She gave her company a two-fingered salute and flew off into the endless diamond sky, feeling for once, that despite everything that was approaching: the villains, her parents, whether the side of good was really 'good-'she would have these people to help her out.

* * *

 _"We are the reckless_

 _We are the wild youth_

 _Chasing visions of our futures_

 _One day we'll reveal the truth_

 _That one will die before he gets there_

 _And if you're still bleeding, you're the lucky ones_

 _'Cause most of our feelings, they are dead and they are gone_

 _We're setting fire to our insides for fun_

 _Collecting pictures from the flood that wrecked our home_

 _It was a flood that wrecked this_

 _And you caused it..."_

 _Daughter-Youth_

 **End of Act I**

* * *

 **Yep Act I is done. We're sixty percent done with this story! Not the series, mind you.**

 **Well, to put it bluntly, school is starting school and less fanfic time, so I'm going to leave it off here and hope I will continue quite soon. The hiatus will last till probably November, but here's hoping! Who knows I might have the beginning of Act II up by next week;)**

 **Also, title drop, your welcome.**

 **Scientific note: Alcohol irritates any wound, but that doesn't mean it helps heal the affected area- it actually damages the nerves more. Hence why Phoebe felt immediate pain when the whisky spilled on where the glass cut her. Yay, science!**

 **Now that the entire group has been introduced maybe all of you can figure out everyone's godly (grand)parent! Yes, Greek Mythology, whoo! Please no spoilers in the comments, but a review would be nice.**

 **Also Caesar is glad to leave you guys this:**

 _ **WKH PDJLVWHU LV ZDWFKLAJ**_


	17. Enteracte

**Act II: Entr'acte**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Happy Birthday to me! Childhood officially over, kiddies!_**

* * *

 _"The scariest monsters are the ones that lurk within our souls-" Edgar Allen Poe_

* * *

In the world of Pinocchio, particularly on Pleasure Island, a lone shade hovered over the body of a boy who was covered in a long dark cloak, the only thing visible was the boy's pale face.

"Anthony, buddy, you gotta wake up!" Tadashi tried to shake the boy's body, but his hands passed right through him.

"Hades, of all the things you could've done, why did you make shades unable to touch your blood?!"

It had barely been a minute since the boy just passed out in front of him.

The only sound he muttered was a shaky, incomprehensible, "Wow-see am I cold-" and that was when Anthony collapsed onto the floor, and all Tadashi could do was watch him helplessly tumble to the ground.

"Buddy, come on what's wrong?!"

The shade scanned the island, ignoring the flames that were sweeping across the amusement park, devouring all the little attractions that got caught in its way.

Tadashi was almost relieved that none of the children were running around, since by now all of them were whisked away into a location where they held the freshly transfigured donkeys. At least Pinocchio had some sense to get everyone out, but still, what if he found Anthony in this state? If he already figured out that he was the son of Hades, what kind of bargaining chip would he gain by kidnapping the boy?

Not knowing what to do, Tadashi put his fingers in his mouth, and tried unsuccessfully to whistle over Nox, the thestral waiting for Anthony's signal. "Not even dead and I still can't do it," the shade grumbled, so he opted for just calling out her name.

"Nox! Nox! Where are you, you beautiful flesh-devouring horse?"

Tadashi briefly screamed as the silly thestral poked her head through his stomach. Twelve years and he still couldn't get over the fact that someone could pass right through him.

"Nox!" Tadashi stepped away from the thestral and tried to give him his best reprimanding face, but really, it came out more like a pouty face.

The thestral let loose a playful snort, but her attention was soon diverted as she looked at where her rider laid on the ground. Silently, Nox leaned down and put her face against his ice cold face, but she jerked her face away as soon as her muzzle lightly touched the boy's cheek. Looking back at Tadashi, Nox, gave him a questioning glance.

Never had she felt Anthony to be cold, everything about him was full of warmth and fire, compared to regular mortals, his core body temperature was higher than normal, but now, he gave no signs of even the tiniest bit of heat.

Tadashi watched Nox's reaction closely, he felt himself cringe as the thestral tried once again to touch his face, only for her to get the same reaction.

"We have to take him home."

The death horse nodded, but the shade didn't know if the thestral understood what he said. Then without warning, Nox lifted her head up to the sky, and released a banshee like scream that rippled across the island, alerting everyone to her presence.

Almost immediately, the ground beneath them started to shake, and the earth opened up as four thestrals leading an empty chariot burst through the hole.

Taking the lead, Nox rolled Anthony's comatose body into the chariot, and tried her best to keep him as comfortable as possible.

She then gestured for Tadashi to come stand watch over him. As soon as everyone was in position, Nox nodded the thestrals forward, and lead from the back, in case Anthony fell off the chariot.

Tadashi regarded the thestral with a respectful glance, and kept his eyes fixated on both the boy and the abyss before them.

The Underworld, as many have noticed before, contains thousands of different entrances, in each Realm alone; making it one of the most accessible realms to enter, but for the flip side, it was also the hardest to leave.

So when the shade felt the darkness encompass him, the strange stinging sensation he felt as he traveled along in the above ground, vanished. Even though he was special compared to other shades, Tadashi still felt the Underworld calling to him.

It's funny really, but if you think about it, the Underworld calls to everyone, yet it is also the last place you want to be in.

It's funnier still, though, how even gods fear that realm, and its dread lord. For despite how superior the deathless gods have been, ruling the Cosmos since the dawn of time, they still fear the sting of Death, but whoso more, than Hades?

So when it was that Tadashi and the thestrals made it to the dock of the River Styx and carefully transported the boy across the river to Hades own personal dock, they were rather surprised when Hades, himself appeared, flanked by Pain and Panic.

"Two weeks..."

Tadashi's mouth fell open in shock. "What? That's-"

Hades silenced the shade by grabbing him by his shirt collar.

Tadashi's eyes widened in realization and horror. "You can touch me..."

"I can do so much worse than that, but you've still got Seph's protection... But what in the hell have you guys been doing for two weeks?!" Hades bellowed, his skin turning from gray to a fiery red as he threw Tadashi to the ground.

The god, suddenly heard coughing coming from Charon's boat.

"And what the hell is wrong with the kid?!"

Tadashi slowly rose to his feet, for some reason when the god had thrown him he had felt actual pain, for the first time since he died.

"He's sick I think," the shade weakly replied, not meeting Hades' eyes. "He found the Fantasyland key, too, but Pinocchio and him got into a fight, a magical one, and the puppet encased Anthony in a block of ice."

"Ice?!" Hades cursed under his breath. He turned to Pain and Panic, "Boys, tell Ramsley that the kid's sick, get whatever he needs."

The two imps scampered away as quickly as possible, they could already see Hades was in one of his black moods.

Tadashi was about to follow them to stay out of Hades' way, but the god appeared in his way.

"So anything interesting happen tonight?"

Tadashi hesitated, putting a hand behind his neck in apprehension, "Well, uh-"

"Say no more!" Hades snapped his fingers and suddenly Anthony was in the god's arms. "I got every piece of evidence I need."

The god, though still appearing raged, felt something chip as he felt the chill that was emanating into his heated skin. As a god who had a natural affinity for fire, he had a natural aversion to ice, and seeing Anthony's pale skin tinged with blue, alarm bells started ringing through his brain.

"Kid, kid, you okay?" Hades lightly shook him, but still keeping a secure grip on his shoulders and knees.

Anthony weakly opened his eyes, and Hades nearly dropped the kid when he saw that one of them had a gold iris, instead of the boy's normal blue.

"His powers..."

"What?" Tadashi asked, but suddenly, both his lord and the boy disappeared.

The shade sighed. "Now he realizes the kid's sick... But if only it was just physically..."

Hades gently set Anthony down on the boy's bed, careful not to let his neck roll from side to side. The boy's already pale face looked blue around his lips and on his cheeks. The god then proceeded to wrap the boy in the thick blankets that rested on the bed, and made sure to wrap him up as comfortably and as warm as possible.

Before he did anything else, Hades put his hand against the boy's forehead and quickly jerked it back. Instead of feeling sweat or even abnormally hot skin; the boy was freezing, and on closer inspection of Anthony's hair, tiny little icicles were forming along the hairline.

Tadashi stayed a respectful distance away as Hades continued to inspect the boy, one by checking for a pulse and that his son was still breathing. Hades at that moment, looked like a responsible parent but really he was doing whatever the shade said, since Tadashi knew a thing or two about taking care of the living. He created Baymax after all.

"Okay, since his body temperature is usually warmer than the average human, we need to heat him up- I suggest getting warm towels and wrapping his body, or even giving him a hot bath," Tadashi suggested.

"Eh, I got a better idea." What Hades did next might've seemed abnormal for a normal parent, but for these two, it was a strange ritual.

Lighting his hands with twin flames, Hades, placed the flames over Anthony's head and where his heart was, allowing the fire to seep into the boy.

Almost immediately, Anthony sat up and released a moan, the sound of which reminded Tadashi of his brother whenever he woke him up after falling asleep for over working on one of his latest robotics projects.

Yet at that very second, the boy's eyes fluttered, and collapsed once again.

Hades slightly turned to the shade, "You can go now, I'll take it from here."

Tadashi's face fell into a puzzled look. "Your lordship, I can watch over Anthony, it's no trouble real-"

"Get. Out," Hades curtly commanded, not even giving the shade a single look.

Tadashi sighed, he could not win against the god, so he vanished from Anthony's room, without another word.

Hades, waited a few more seconds, for the coast to clear, but oddly enough, despite the absence of the shade, the god still felt as if he was being watched.

Sparing a glance away from Anthony, Hades turned to his left, and let loose a surprised yelp at the sight of a black shadow. It had no shape, nor any recognizable form, the only thing that could distinguish any features on the shadow were the two eclipses that stared back at him

"Now, now Hades," the shadow's distinct yellow eyes glinted. "Why so surprised? I feel after all these years you've been around him, you'd be used to my presence."

Hades felt his fists clench, "And who the hell are you, hiding in the dark for? And how the hell did you get in this room? Now get outta here you sleazy shade."

The god appeared beside the shadow and made shooing gestures. "Bah, get out of here, I'll deal with you later."

Seeing that he wasn't moving Hades grumbled in annoyance. "Alright you freaky little shadow thing, buzz off," the god snapped his fingers to teleport the shade somewhere else, but it barely even moved.

Hades stared incredulously at his hand and tried again, with the same result. "Why aren't ya gone, babe?"

The shadow chuckled maliciously, but did not reply. The shadow creature, rippled off of the arm chair, and into the shadow that Hades was creating.

"Wow, death has not been kind to you. Look babe, this is mi casa, and this casa is not yours." Hades reached for one of the little tendrils that made up the shadow's body, but instead his hand passed right through him.

After all the times other people had experienced this with him, the look of shock was even greater on the god's face.

"You..."

"I must say Hades," the shadow dissipitated away from the arm chair where he once sat and appeared next to Anthony.

Despite it being a shadow, the creature, was a rather large one that spread himself around Anthony's body like a twisted kind of crime scene. One of the shadow's many arms, though, reached into the boy's cloak and pulled out the white mask that was hidden in it.

Caressing the porcelain surface of the mask, the shadow shot Hades' a haughty glare. "I always thought you would be smarter than your brother. I guess, I was wrong-"

Without warning, the shadow slammed the mask onto Anthony's face, but before the mask was firmly planted on the unconscious boy's face- Hades shot a ball of fire at him, knocking the mask out of the shadow's grasp.

"HANDS OFF!" Hades raged, sending another blast, but this time aimed directly at the shadow.

Yet, the shadow, despite being hit dead on remained unfazed. What was more disconcerting though was the dark booming laughter that rang in the air. "Your fear, Hades is so delicious, I have never tasted fear from a god this strong. Please another will you?" the shadow mocked.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Hades appeared beside the shadow and tried to blast him again, but nothing happened.

In response, the shadow disappeared, his voice started echoing in the large room, "Please stop that, Hades; it's more annoying than painful. If anything it's kind of depressing, isn't it?"

"What do you want?!" Hades screamed, he swiveled his body left and right trying to find where the voice was coming from, but most of his attention was still focused on his son, who still laid untouched on the bed.

Hades gulped in apprehension, "I-I gave you everything, I gave you a chance- come on what more do you want?! Life? Well, you can't have him!"

The shadow felt himself grow stronger as the god's fear grew. "Hades, Hades, Hades... You're the one who promised me recompense."

The shadow's black tendril grew until nearly the entire room was enveloped in darkness, the only light that remained was Hades' hair, and the Yellow Eyes that drifted around in the darkness. The glow the eyes created was barely enough to highlight where Anthony laid.

"Eight hours a day the boy was mine, a third of his life and in return the boy received protection from his curse- And something else very precious..."

"Something that god's don't have..." Yellow Eyes whispered into the god's ear.

Not knowing what to do, Hades teleported away, but when his smoke cleared, he was still in the same spot. Seeing that running was not an option, Hades released a wall of flame at the darkness.

Hades watched with growing satisfaction that it was working this time, and continued to blast the darkness back, no longer caring that some of the furniture that had previously been under the darkness' hold was now alight with flame.

"Take that! And some of that!" The god yelled, his smirk was starting to grow back on his face. "Babe, I don't fear you!"

"Hades," the shadow tsked as he was backed into the arm chair where he first appeared. "You can't destroy fear... Fear is different for each, but apparently... You don't fear the loss of your son-"

The god swiveled around , and watched in horror and astonishment as the shadow slid his form into Anthony. The boy's body twitched and contorted like he was trying to reject the shadow's possession.

"Blast," the shadow cursed. "Where is that little mask?"

The mask! that's why Anthony was rejecting him, Hades thought. But with this in mind, he had to find it before Yellow Eyes did- now where did he chuck it?

If Fate wasn't cruel enough, it just so happened that the mask was literally two feet from him, but so was the shadow.

Suddenly the room darkened once more, but Hades' flame hair.

The god searched around the room, getting on his hands and knees trying to get the mask before the shadow, but one of his hands hit something sending the mask farther away from him, and into the shadow's waiting clutches.

The two burning eclipses of the shadow's eyes seemed to smirk at the god on his knees as he placed the mask on itself.

It was startling how a being that once had no definite shape started forming into the shape of a human, but even then, the shape was distorted, twisted in a way that it no longer resembled the boy it was trying to reflect. His entire body was as black as pitch, but the eyes never seemed to change from their normal eclipse orbs.

"You have failed, Hades," The shadow-boy got down on his knees to whisper this into the god's ear.

"And I could have paid you handsomely if you had followed my demands... What's one son when you can have more?"

Hades didn't speak, he glared at the shadow-boy, giving him his best warning glare.

"Oh that's right," the shadow continued. "You no longer have a wife, but that can easily be remedied-"

The shadow snapped his long black fingers and suddenly there stood a tall ethereal goddess with light pink skin and long wavy blonde hair that reached past her hips. The tight black _peplos_ she wore was one that Hades had always considered his favorite, because of the way it accentuated her curves, and how it made her look like the badass Queen of Hell he knew.

"Hades... What's going on?" The lady spoke in a bemused manner, her eyes frantically searching for the sight of a familiar head of blue flame.

"Seph! Gods, Seph?" Hades stood up to his full height, but he was so caught up in the reunion of his wife that he forgot she was not real. Hades tenderly reached out to cup her face, waiting for a response, but before he could touch her again, she disappeared.

"No, Seph, come back!" The god shouted, as his hands moved sporadically trying to grab her before she blinked out of existence.

"Persephone," his voice breaking at her name, realizing that her being there was all made up.

"Please..." He whispered, feeling something wet slid down his face. "Don't leave me again... I didn't mean what I said. Not once..." The god pleaded, remembering the last conversation he ever had with Persephone before her disappearance.

"Agony, isn't it? Yellow Eyes glided around the room, like a caged tiger pacing in his cage. "Mine is far more greater than yours... I've waited nearly a billion years and you won't even let me ease both of our sorrows. I am not a compassionate creature the least you could do-"

"Babe," Hades interrupted. "I'm starting to understand why people get their togas in a twist when I talk too much, but you- Oi." he tsked.

Yellow Eyes turned around in curiosity, why was the god acting completely different? The shadow did not have enough time to comprehend what was happening as something forcibly surrounded him, knocking the mask off in the process.

Yellow Eyes gritted his teeth in frustration. "Madame-"

"Leota- yeah, yeah, everybody knows. " Hades finished.

The dead medium was a force to be reckoned with in the Underworld; ever since she had come into the good graces of Hades, he had entrusted her with more powers elevating her status as more than just Anthony's babysitter. After all, she was the one who taught the boy how to control the spirit that resided within him, and she had many experiences in her old corruptible mortal self dealing with exorcisms and the like. How she managed to appear at the right time, though, was still left to the imagination for the cornered spirit.

The god crossed his arms and gave the spirit trapped in her own crystal ball a nod. "So can you put him back in, or what?"

"You fool- you would put me back in, knowing full well I will control the boy's body," Yellow Eyes spat. "You'll only be doing me the favor."

Hades shook his head in agreement, putting his hand to his mouth in speculation. "That is a problem- so Leota, you know how you told me I had two choices, and you said not to do the first choice... Well... I can't have this guy blowing everything to pieces, so I think it's time to put that block-thing in his head. The kid, oi, already has _nothing_ going on in his head, a little more won't hurt."

"My lord, the block can be easily undone. Problems that will leave you and the boy in utter confusion. Something so small can escalate into-"

"I've heard the risks, I wanted it since the beginning, but now I think it's the best."

"ENOUGH!" Yellow Eyes bellowed, somehow he managed to break whatever hold the former medium had on him. The spirit had no eyebrows, no mouth, no nose, no face, no nothing, but the eyes that gave him his name and the only aspect that one could determine what he was feeling.

So when it was that Hades saw the shadow's eyes glint with a silver light, did he realize what he was about to do.

The god disappeared grabbing Leota in the process right before the spirit could try and jump into the crystal ball with the former medium.

Having her tucked safely underneath his arm, Hades reappeared a safer distance away, but, by then the shadow was waiting for them in nearly the same location.

"Whoa!" Hades breathed out, as he had to disappear again, and poofed somewhere else, only for Yellow eyes to appear beside them every time.

"Yo, Leota, any ideas."

Hades looked down at the crystal ball and was rather displeased to see the glowing green head of Leota spinning around like a snowman in a snow globe.

"Uh- Leota." the god for a second remained still as he tried to let the spinning spirit to slow down.

Suddenly Hades sucked in a breath as he felt something hit him behind his head. In the process, Leota was thrown out from under his arm, sending the crystal ball rolling across Anthony's bedroom.

Hades tried to clear his head as something blocked his vision. He could see nothing but pitch black. Darkness that matched the abyss of the Underworld.

"So this is what it's like being in your head," a voice echoed in his head. "I was hoping for more organization, compared to that boy, but yours is worse! The only difference is you have more blocks in your mind- makes me wonder what it is you want to hide..."

"The hell?!" Hades screamed. He felt like his head was splitting open, a pain very similar to Athena's strange birth, but unlike that incident, no one was trying to escape. Instead, someone was trying to find what made a god tick.

The pain only seemed to intensify as the spirit reached what he was looking for: the god's memories. Hades couldn't stop himself from releasing a roar of rage as he tried to literally tear open his skull. The flames that he released from his anger, only added to the god's discomfort because of the added intensity it created in his mind.

"Go ahead scream, your little boy used to scream, too. Now let's see..."

Hades shrieked in pain as he felt Yellow Eyes open a door and then another, after another. The god tried to open his eyes but it's like they were stitched together, and he had to watch everything he had ever done flood his mind, reliving eight millennia of mistakes in a single second.

In a moment of desperation, Hades shouted the one thing he had never expected to do. "You want a deal so bad- fine, make one, already!"

And just like that the pain stopped, and the god sank to his knees in relief, but he could still not see anything.

"A deal?" the voice snickered.

"You're so weak, your son would've lasted longer, but no matter... I still need the boy. Even now, I am called back to his mind- we are still connected, yet there is a way to separate us, without harming the other. And I know you have found it, he's found it, and I have found it. All I want is to have it. But I want it prepared, everything from the finest detail, I know you started sixteen years ago, but you will finish it. Yes... before the year ends."

"Anything, babe," Hades breathed out, something brushed against his forehead, but he was too focused as the spirit gave a final chuckle.

"Then the deal is st- What?!"

"Not him too..." Anthony softly muttered removing his hand away from his father's face. Yellow Eyes seeped back into his body without complaint. Like a river into the sea, the connection between them grew as the distance shortened, drawing them back together.

"You can hurt me, but not anyone else."

Hades eyes burst open. His golden orbs met the boy's eyes, watching as his blue eyes blazed with defiance as they shifted from gold back to blue.

The god was speechless for several seconds. The silence that stretched between him and the boy seemed to have its very own conversation; a mutual agreement.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Hades rose back to his feet, almost shocked to see how much Anthony had grown in relation to a couple months ago.

"You've... grown, kid."

"Mhmm... I've grown three inches."

"Not just that way kid," Hades lightly exclaimed, resting a hesitant hand on the boy's shoulder.

Then without thinking the grey-skinned god added. "I didn't know."

Anthony gave him a humor-less smirk, and stepped away from Hades' one-armed embrace. "You never asked."

Hades tried not to look disappointed as he pulled away. "No- I never wanted to know."

"Mom tried to tell ya."

"Oh, I know kid... I know. So you feeling alright, now?" the god asked, trying to change the subject.

The boy sighed. "Yeah, I- uh woke up when he tried to possess me... I was just really cold, thanks for the heat..."

"Yeah, no problemo..."

The father and son turned their attention away from each other, and found a piece of furniture to be quite interesting until both of them started again.

"Dad-"

"Antonius-"

nodded at Anthony, "You go."

"I'm sorry- he's my burden to bare."

Hades disappeared and reappeared with his arms around his boy embracing him in a hug.

"Kid, shut up- okay? I'm sorry. I know I'm not good with this whole single parent gig, and having you live with that thing, I never realized he would do this to you. Your mom and I thought he would help you with the curse since you don't have a-"

"Yeah, I know," Anthony cut him off.

"Look, Antonius, I'm just saying maybe we need to have a new approach with this guy. Put the block in your mind, and he'll be gone."

"Forever?" Anthony asked in wonder.

"No- but it'll last," Hades assured him. "Remember how I said I was going to make-up for every birthday I missed-"

"Dad you were always there, you just never came up to say hello to me... Or mom. I knew it was you who put out the birthday candle incident of '04."

"Just let me talk for _one_ second-"

Anthony gave him his best _haven't I let you talk this entire time_ face?

"I'm going to give you a real birthday party- whenever that is, but I promise you, your curse will be lifted. Be it this birthday or the next. Just you wait."

"And mom?"

Hades gulped. "Would be proud of you -wherever she is, and you know what maybe we'll find her, or she'll find us. She's a clever goddess after all, and hey, it's really hard to k-" the god's voice choked at the word 'kill.'

"Well, you know. So how about I send you some breakfast and let Leota work her magic?"

Anthony rolled his eyes. "Dude, food does sound really good. But wait I need to show you something-" The boy rummaged through his pant pockets and pulled out a small golden key.

The young man smirked, "You could say I won a bar fight... And a bet... You can tell King handing out Candy out of white vans, Slim Jim, Shadowman, and that devil woman that I outdid all of them."

Hades frowned, and snatched the key out of his hand. "What the hell were you thinking?!" The god raged, out of his hand smoke started rising.

"Don't melt it!" Anthony pleaded, waiting for the liquefied gold to drip out of his father's grip.

"It can't melt you bozo! It's Magic! Every damn thing is magic!"

"Even friendship?"

Hades clenched back an angry yell, and through gritted teeth said, " _What did you say_?!"

"Nothing... Oh by the way I figured out who was the talking trashcan- turns out it was Pinocchio. But-" Anthony's voice suddenly became very high-pitched. "In the process he _might've_... Realized you're my dad- oh look at the time, I gotta take a shower, mow the non-existent grass, feed the dog-" with every excuse the boy started taking a long stride backwards.

But having a dad who could teleport, gave Anthony the disadvantage.

"What was the _one_ _rule we had_?!" Hades started leaning in dangerously close.

"A no abduction policy?" Anthony weakly suggested.

 _"And?!"_

Anthony groaned, "If you're going to go raise hell, don't connect it with me- I mean you."

"You're grounded."

"Whaaaat?" Anthony stared wide-eyed at his dad. "But I gotta be Death..."

"No buts. You want me to be your dad- I'm gonna be your dad, damnit. And if you even think I'm going to let you out for the next six months you are _dead_ wrong-"

"That was an amazing pun, but no dad you can't keep me down here. I need to be around people again- _living_ ones."

"Hey when I was your age I had only my siblings for company- in a guy's friggin' stomach! And look how well I turned out. Sure some of them turned into a fish and I got- well flame hair, but whaddya do? You have it easy, just wait and I promise you things will get better. If everything goes according to plan- and hey, it's me we're talking about. You'll be back in the sun and I'll finally show everyone the House of Hades still lives. And Zeus will never see it coming babe."

"You're going to make me a god again?"

"Well, with your little slip-up that plan is going to backtrack for a bit, but Antonius, remember, revenge needs to come full circle, and revenge is going to be so sweet for us. Screw Zeusy, thinking he had the last laugh, just watch as my son become the most celebrated name in the Realms. Forget Wonder breath, and the street rat, Death is coming to town, and damn, does he have your name on his list."

"So, I'm going to be stuck here then?"

"Yep."

"Well, crap."

"But- if we get rid of the little puppet- then you'll be good to go. You just need to make sure 'what's her face' takes him down."

'It's Phoebe," Anthony deadpanned. "Literally you have had more interaction with her than me, you have no excuse."

"Whatever, you get one hour to do whatever plan you got, and I suggest you take this-" Hades threw the golden Fantasyland key at him.

"Wait, I thought you needed it?"

"I did." Hades smirked. "But we got a change in our plans. Seems somebody just joined a cult."

"Should I be concerned?"

"Nah, let's just say phase three is complete."

* * *

"Your son, my lord, is stronger than you can even begin to understand." Madame Leota exclaimed, as she was being pushed on her cart by the god's two imps. She and the god were walking along one of his palace's many wings discussing a myriad of things.

Hades hesitantly laughed. "That's what I'm afraid of."

"Watch it now, Yellow Eyes was able to break out of the poor dear and gain a shape thanks to your fear."

"Pssh, I know that, but I gotta learn to not fear the spirit, and stop speaking in rhymes."

"Hades you don't fear the spirit, but the boy with the powers of the mind and his mother's wit."

"How can I fear my kid?" The god argued as he stopped in the middle of the hallway, in front of the only door in this entire wing. Hade poofed into existence a large keychain, containing thousands of keys, and after selecting one, he started to unlock the door.

"That is not a question you should be asking me, my lord. If the boy was able to take the spirit away from your consciousness, how much self-control do you think he possesses? You made the boy too powerful- a demigod should not have this much help and one day you'll see-"

"ENOUGH, LEOTA!" The god bellowed, flames came bursting forth from every pore, but once he calmed down, he regarded the cyrstal ball a steely glare, and lightly opened the ebony door.

"When Antonius goes to bed, I want that block in his head. Just give him his dagger and he'll be good. We can't have him going crazy again, I need him stable, kapiche?"

When Leota did not reply, Hades assumed this as her acquiescence. She would never dare disobey him, and disobey him she did not.

"Ah, this old room looks exactly like Seph left it... Well, boys-" Hades looked back at his imps, giving them a full view of his sharp teeth that were currently in what one would assume a sadistic smile."-We got some redecorating to do."

"Now, Leota be a doll, I need you to contact one of my newest patrons."

* * *

 **A/N: Guess who's back? Sorry, school's been rough, but I think I'm going to start updating regularly again, since I'm going to be home more.**

 **Side note: Do you think that after having all the shades overpowering him in the Styx that Hades wouldn't have found a way where none of them could touch him back? That was one of my thoughts I had while writing this chapter, and I'm sure Hades would've done the same for Anthony, so yeah continuity!**

 **Also has anyone figured out who Yellow Eyes really is? I'm really curious, and no Frenchy it's not Cipher. Oh and since we're on that subject- has anyone figured out the code from last chapter? I'm not going to do codes all the time, but after major events or certain people make an appearance, but hey.**

 **For anyone who is wondering what's happening with Phoebe, that'll be the next chapter, and very soon you'll see what her real purpose of Magic is. Hint, hint: I hope everyone's ready for time traveling and adventures through the Sorcerer's Hat, because that's where we're headed.**

 **If you're looking for a particular world you want the group to travel to, I'm open for suggestions. The only exceptions are the worlds of Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Cinderella, Little Mermaid, Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, Narnia, and Hercules. Those worlds I am going to delve into later, but other worlds are fair game.**

 **Till next time, then, and as always fav, follow, and review!**

 **Angel of H-d out!**


	18. Tag your Death

**Tag, Your Death**

* * *

 _"The Dutchman must always have a captain-" Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End_

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the long wait, have a nice long chapter**

* * *

The flight to Tom Sawyer's Island was a bit difficult. Mainly due to both Phoebe and Tammy getting lost because they didn't know when or where the portal would be reopened, which was really all Zelda's fault since she had to open the portal so they could leave.

Eventually though a familiar orange glow encompassed the small town as they circled the sky, Tammy took the lead and made her way out of Frontierland, with Phoebe flying behind her.

The landscape changed significantly, from the dusty little town to the bright-lit amusement park with thousands of Park guests flittering around the path that lead to the center of the Magic Kingdom; just to get a good viewpoint for the nightly fireworks show.

At least that's what Phoebe would have done, the girl considered, but she much preferred flying than to being on the ground.

Tammy pointed at something below them, but Phoebe couldn't see what she was pointing at. The sunburned girl's owl eyes could see well in the night sky, and her gaze was focused on a girl dressed in a neon green jacket walking along the edge of the island.

She was followed by four others, but Drew was easily the most noticeable, Phoebe realized as she started losing altitude.

Tammy beat her to the dock and at the sight of her, Zelda threw something at her, which she readily caught.

Phoebe closely followed and landed beside Lauren and Drew.

Turning to her sister, Phoebe snorted at the sight of her. Despite wearing one of Zelda's dresses, the tall brunette had changed back into her old clothes, her neon green jacket the brightest object, beside the lantern Inigo was currently holding.

"I freaking swear, Drew, I have no idea how you haven't died yet, wearing so much neon."

Drew awkwardly laughed. "Hey, Phoebe-"

"Okay, wait are we going to stay the night?" Phoebe interrupted. "Because, frankly I wouldn't mind falling asleep on this nice dock, and who's hungry cuz I am starving-" Phoebe was walking toward the shore of the island, completely oblivious to the fact that no one was following her.

"Do y'all like have the key to the fast food joint on the island here? Aunt Polly's? Never actually been there, but Disney World food is nothing I've ever complained about, well except that time I rode Space Mountain after going to the Crystal Palace buffet- but hey, I'm rambling." the girl awkwardly stated.

Her mouth opened again as she continued to mutter some nonsensical stuff, most of which she was mumbling to herself, garnering a facepalm from Drew who knew her sister only rambled when she was extremely nervous.

Yet when Inigo cleared his throat did Phoebe finally stop; both in her mouth and her feet.

She cautiously turned around and had a confused look on her face. "Hi... Sorry, did I miss something?"

Phoebe watched with growing curiosity as Drew looked around, pretending to either mess with her hair or scratch a particular area on her shoulder as she pointed at Zelda, Tammy, Lauren, Inigo, and Elise.

All of them, except for Inigo, who was inching away with a fake smile plastered on his face, gave her a rather unsettling look.

"Guys?" Phoebe called out, unsurely. She was starting to develop a pit of dread in her stomach.

Lauren and Zelda shared a silent nod before they advanced on Phoebe, the former with her shotgun and the latter her two now fully loaded pistols, and even Elise came up behind them with an... umbrella?

Phoebe felt herself backing up slowly, but something hit her right between her wings. Turning around the winged girl found Tammy holding a taser, the small metallic device had two points that jutted out of the nozzle, a bolt of light connecting the two.

"So, Miss Palomera..." Zelda regarded Phoebe with a calculating look. "It seems there's more to you than meets the eye- Inigo, would you mind bringing over the evidence?"

Inigo stepped into the middle of the circle, where Phoebe stood, careful to duck underneath the barrel of a gun that was trained at the winged girl. He gave the girl an apologetic smile, and handed Zelda what she requested.

Zelda switched out one of her pistols with the dagger, the blade glinted in the light of the lantern Inigo held.

Phoebe's eyes widened as she realized that she had left _the_ dagger on the island. _Why didn't I take it?_ the girl inwardly cursed.

"Ah, thank you Inigo. Now, Phoebe... Where were you on the night of September 19th, 2013 at precisely 11:50 eastern time of your world?"

Phoebe frowned in confusion. "Probably asleep?"

Tammy snorted at her answer. "You sleep?"

"Yes," Phoebe said quickly. "I mean, occasionally- but that was before things went to weird."

"Let me get this straight," Inigo interjected. "By weird do you mean-" he stopped himself and gestured to Phoebe's wings.

Phoebe slowly nodded, "Yeah..."

Zelda made a little 'hmm,' and relaxed her arms putting the pistols away from Phoebe's face, even Elise lowered her own umbrella, but Lauren did not put her own weapon down.

"Any relation to the dread lord of the dead?" Elise asked.

"What gave you that idea?"

"Hun, it's his dagger," Lauren explained, her oddly mothering tone was rather paradoxical considering how menacing she looked with all the weapons strapped onto her body and the shotgun that she refused to lower.

"Oh... Yeah, forgot..."

"So you don't work for him?" Elise asked again.

"No, that creeper ain't getting anywhere near me."

Lauren smirked, "Good to know."

Phoebe started to relax, but her gaze turned back to Inigo, he might've been the friendliest of all of them she'd met so far, but he looked like he was itching to ask more questions.

Zelda was the first to act though. "Inigo has informed me everything he knows about you... It seems you may be new to the Realms, but you have certainly risen in the ranks of the Mouse, and we don't take too kindly to the ruling class. For some reason they just don't seem to like the way we handle things around here..." She smirked, receiving similar smiles from her compatriots.

"But, still, you're too close to the good king, and for that reason, we don't fully accept your membership into the league."

Phoebe cocked her eyebrow in thought. "Why not? I thought Mickey is a good king..." she exclaimed slowly.

"Oh, he is hun," Lauren answered. "It's just he's too one-sided, and Zelda has seen things that revolve around his fate. He has a Council, which you lead, and you as a puppet, hasn't that ever annoyed you?"

"Now you sound like Hades," Phoebe said without thinking.

"What?!" five voices rang out.

"I thought you said you had no relation with him?!" Elise countered, she lifted her umbrella back up and trained it at Phoebe's face. "Or is he trying to make deals with you?"

Phoebe bit her lip in agitation, she hated being the center of attention. "He knows my godly parents, that's it, I swear. He's been using that information to his favor for a while now- ask Tammy."

"Don't worry," Inigo said. "This place is a fortress that protects us all from monsters and large armies."

"He's a god," Phoebe deadpanned.

"Well, it's not perfect... but we still have a fine establishment. I mean come on we have everything here from cannons to exotic butters."

"Exotic butters? That's a thing." Phoebe stonily muttered.

"So if you have godly parents- that means you're a demigod- like us?" Tammy interjected into the conversation for the first time.

Phoebe glanced back to look her in the eye. "Wait, y'all are _all_ demigods?"

Zelda smirked, "More or less..."

"Yeah," Lauren agreed. "Elise and Tammy's mom is Athena, Inigo's dad is Hephaestus, and my mom is Artemis."

"But she's a virgin goddess," Phoebe argued.

"Then she had a very good reason to get rid of me."

Phoebe immediately felt very hot. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"It's fine, hun," Lauren cut her off. "We all have bad relationships with our parents here, well except for Zelda... But we survived and that's what matters."

"A-greed," Tammy huffed. "So are we going to play or not?"

"Young, she may not be up to joining us- her name can still be removed, and her sister has already disappeared, Lauren go grab her before she falls into one of the traps."

"Wait, play? What do y'all even do for a club anyway? Knit sweaters and talk about books?"

Zelda laughed at her honesty. "That's Thursday nights, but no, you could say we run a very interesting book club."

"Are y'all a cult or something?"

"No," Lauren reappeared with Drew, who had three fuzzy kittens in her arms, by her side. "We're worse."

"Phoebe, they have cats!" her sister exclaimed excitedly, and shoved a golden tabby cat into her arms.

The winged girl turned to Zelda, with a skeptical expression on her face as the kitten attempted to lick her face. "Define worse..."

* * *

"Tag... Your dead?" Phoebe slowly let the strange title float off her tongue, leaving a rather confused shudder race down her spine.

"Yeh," Lauren curtly replied. The smuggler girl had been leading Phoebe down a darkened trail in the forest, one that was away from the fort and Aunt Polly's house which Zelda called as "off-limits." Really another rule to this made-up game of theirs.

"Seems legit..." Phoebe slowly nodded.

"You're taking this better than you everyone else thought you would. Personally, Elise bet you were going to run."

"Eh," Phoebe shrugged. "I'm either too tired to complain, or I'm used to it, thanks to the whole being turned into a fish, getting punched in the face by a feral winged girl, fighting hypnotized bovine, and being thrown in jail... You could say I'm open to anything."

Lauren snorted. "It's about damn time- hey, we're sorry for leaving you that mess in Hollywood Studios with the Sorcerer's Hat, we just needed to get out quick before the authorities came by."

"That's fine, it wasn't you who made a fireworks show out of halogen light bulbs."

"Oh yeah... You know for a sorceress, you seem to limit your use of magic."

Phoebe blushed at this, "I-I'm no sorceress. I would never consider myself a witch or even a magic-user, I'm just me... Plus how weird is it to say: 'Hey, I'm Magic, the Sorceress'- doesn't make any sense to me. Sure, Yen Sid has taught me a lot, Merlin's books have been great, but it's like flying- it feels so natural and wonderful, yet wrong at the same time. Maybe you can thank my parents, they're superstitious people, but my dad can't even _stand_ the sight of _calaveras_ \- sorry skulls."

Lauren waved her off, "Don't be sorry, I understand Spanish, I worked for a Spanish merchant when I first started sailing. Elise speaks French anyway, Inigo speaks some kind of alien tongue, and Tammy speaks Pig-Latin."

"Oh," Phoebe breathed out, generally surprised. "Cool beans... I learned Spanish first, because my parents would drop me off with my 'Buelita, whenever they went to go work, but we moved from California and I don't see her as often... So-" the winged girl glanced at the now weaponless girl.

After everyone went to go set up for the game, Lauren had removed her vast array of pistols, knives, swords, grenades, and throwing stars. Okay, she still had two more pistols, but they were for the game she said, and completely harmless, well that's what she claimed. And another weapon of their choosing or something?

"Where did Drew get the cats?"

"Oh, Disney World is a great habitat for feral cats- takes care of the rodent population, so the Cast Members don't really care, but they do neuter them when they find a litter of kittens. But we decided to let the cats live here, and ever since then, we've kind of domesticated them- they are one of our silent alarms too. Animals can see things we can't see, and cats are needed to keep in check the ghosts who live in the Haunted Mansion, they always try to sneak over here and talk to Elise cuz she can communicate with them really easily. Plus, we don't want any interruption for your initiation. But dear lord, does Zelda hate them, they're not allowed in the southern part of the island, her family's residency, and her room."

"Uh-huh..." Phoebe nodded slowly, the winged girl lifted her skirts as she followed Lauren down a steep hill, cursing Elise for not letting her change back to her old clothes.

Her thoughts started to drift away though as her stomach released a moan of displeasure. "Will it be quick then? The game? Cuz, I'm starving- and in need of some aqua."

"It really depends how well you do, you just need to win at least one round before the sun comes up, and if not- you're out."

"Ah... So why didn't we choose to eat before this game started, huh?"

"Just eat this," Lauren tossed her a small red berry. "I grow these things naturally here. An old spirit gave me a sapling a long time ago and unlike its relatives, it replenishes your energy like sugar on steroids, and like sugar you will definitely crash afterwards. It's not perfect, but it's the island's very own Red Bull, as Tammy says."

Phoebe caught the small red berry and inspected its smooth skin, before she popped it into her mouth. "Huh, what world is this one from?" The winged girl suddenly felt a warm feeling spread across her skin from her head to her toes, even her stomach felt slightly full, and her fingers started to momentarily spark.

Lauren turned around to give her a smirk, "Beat the game and you'll learn everything about us."

"Even what y'all do?"

Lauren's smirk grew wider, "Hun, if you ever do find out you'll help us complete our purpose."

Phoebe looked at her skeptically, "What purpose?"

Lauren ignored her question and instead handed her a small hand pistol. Unlike the others that Phoebe had seen everyone point at her, this one was not metallic or large, if anything it felt loads lighter then she would have considered a normal pistol.

"These are loaded with paint- if you hit someone, we automatically become part of your team to help you track down the remaining players, but if you hit someone who has already been tagged, they are dead to their teammate and cannot participate anymore. Of course there is another way to win, but it's the same concept, knock everyone else out, literally speaking- and the winner is the last woman standing."

Lauren pointed to the nearby shoreline and then to the densely wooded area they were near, a lantern marking the edge. "We're on the edge of the arena now, but you need to get more central if you want to find us. So when the game starts fire your first shot into the sky, it's a flair. It'll tell you where we are in relation to you and you to us, it helps us either run or fight- whatever strategy you want."

Phoebe nodded, "So if it's just five of us- what's Drew and Inigo gonna do?"

"Oh, Inigo is the game keeper, he makes sure everything is tip-top shape and lets the little beasties around to excite things up a bit, but don't worry that only happens when we can't find Elise, she likes to hide instead of fight. One time she literally just hid behind a rock for eight hours- falling asleep mind you and won that night. And in the end we liked action more compared to hide-and-seek."

"Cool beans," Phoebe nodded. The winged girl waved Lauren good-bye and made her way down a path, trying to find a rock or something to hide behind.

Yet after her fruitless search, Phoebe realized she wandered farther away from the forest and managed to reach the other side of the island. Even though there was no moon tonight, the winged girl could barely make out the roof of the Haunted Mansion, distinct even at night, with it's strange resemblance to chess board pieces.

Phoebe idly kicked a rock into the river and watched as the surface rippled from the disturbance.

Bending down, Phoebe picked up a rock and threw it as far as she could and watched in awe as the water opened up like a mouth only in the area that the rock traveled as it sailed through the air, revealing the muddy floor beneath.

Then as the rock descended down and landed on the now water-less area, the waves crashed back together, closing it's great mouth, and returned to its normal, almost peaceful state.

Phoebe's face was scrunched in confusion during this supernatural feat, but now that it was over, she looked around wondering if she was the only one that saw that. Yet another question started to nag at her.

"Did I do that?"

When she received no answer, like she expected, Phoebe cautiously backed away, squinting all the while, as if she was making sure the river did nothing suspicious behind her back.

The winged girl stopped when she could no longer see the waters from her vantage point. Sighing to herself Phoebe leaned against a tree and lightly traced the bruise that was forming around her cheekbone. Huh, she never considered she was ever going to get caught up in a fist. Well, at least she learned something, right? Maybe she should consider getting some training... Her skills in magic were improving, but what about physically? It wouldn't hurt... Would it?

Phoebe closed her eyes in momentary thought. Oh lord are her parents gonna kill her- and Mickey too. Gosh, he must be worried sick! He only sent them to retrieve one key, and nothing! What if he sent someone after them?! What if that someone tracked them here?

The winged girl shook off these thoughts with a huff. Well it's about time that Mouse thought of her more than just a figure head. Maybe... Hades did poise a good point... Was being Council leader even worth it? She hardly knew the people she was supposedly leading... Maybe her change in acquaintances would help her along her path. Yen Sid was speaking about restoring the role of Magic- what did that even mean?!

"One step at a time, girly," Phoebe told herself. "First the game then my parents... After that... I gotta talk to the Blue Fairy, she could knock some sense back into her godson. Yeah... good plan... good plan..."

"WELCOME TO THE TWO-HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINTH COMPETITION!" Inigo's voice was heard as if in a loud speaker.

Phoebe looked around for the speaker, but realized the announcer's voice was coming from somewhere in the middle of the forest.

"TONIGHT WE HAVE A GUEST SPEAKER: ANDROMEDA PALOMERA, AND BOY IS SHE HAVING FUN- ISN'T THAT RIGHT, DREW?!"

"PHOEBE THEY HAVE SO MANY CATS-"

"YES THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS," Inigo took the microphone away from Drew and continued his announcement. "LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A NEW MEMBER JOINING US TONIGHT, AND IF SHE PASSES, WE HAVE A NEW MEMBER TO THE SECRET AGENCY SOCIETY OF THE E-"

"INIGO!" Zelda, Tammy, Lauren, and Elise's voice rang together all around Phoebe.

"WE TALKED ABOUT THIS- NOT UNTIL HER MAIDEN VOYAGE!"

Inigo awkwardly laughed to himself. "A word from our sponsors, I see... Well let's see- THE RULES ARE ALWAYS THE SAME! ONLY THE USAGE OF ONE OTHER WEAPON IS ALLOWED! NO BLADES, PLEASE! LADIES, YOUR WEAPON OF CHOICE, PLEASE?!"

"Staff!"

"Umbrella!"

"Taser!"

"Rope!"

Phoebe hesitated, not expecting the use of an additional weapon. "Umm... My wits?"

"WAIT, NOT MAGIC?" Inigo asked confusedly.

"I can use magic?!"

Inigo was about to reply, but Lauren's sharp voice rang through the forest. "NOPE! YOU BLOODY IDIOT, YOU CAN'T HESITATE IN A FIGHT- SHE HAS CHOSEN WITS!"

Inigo shrugged. "Well, she does have a point, sorry Phoebe maybe the next night."

Phoebe opened her mouth in protest, "But-"

"No buts, just start already Inigo!" Zelda yelled.

"Fine, fine, fine," the game keeper muttered. "Let the games begin! Ladies flares to the skies!"

Abruptly a loud cannon could be heard erupting, probably from the fort, signifying the start of the game.

* * *

Elise rolled her eyes, "You can't tell me what to do, Inigo," and instead of aiming it to the sky, the girl lazily shot the flare to her right.

* * *

Like Lauren taught her Phoebe aimed her flare gun to the sky and pulled the trigger. Yet, not even a second passed before a similar blast that had come out of her pistol, was suddenly hurtling towards her.

She barely had time to flinch before it hit her in her side, knocking her into a tree, making her lose both her breath and consciousness. Yet before she descended into the black, she heard someone distantly yelling and another cannon shot firing into the air.

* * *

Phoebe felt the black abyss that she had fallen into begin to disappear as she beheld Tammy and Zelda's worried faces. Each of them sported a neon yellow splotch of paint on their shoulders, but other than that, they looked just the same as earlier.

Before she could ask what was going on, or check her side for the source of her pain, Phoebe's attention was diverted to the sound of two people arguing.

"Elise! What the bloody hell- just aim for the friggin' sky!" Lauren roared as she appeared, running up to where Phoebe lay motionless on the ground.

"Oh calm yourself," Elise cut her off. "Phoebe should've been aware that we were playing a game instead of passing out."

"Lis, you could've killed her!"

"Good riddance, I say."

"ELISE!"

"Oh she was thirty feet away from me it wasn't a direct hit..." Elise suddenly sheepishly smiled as a memory resurfaced. "Blame the awful dust that little cell collected, made me nearly have a heart attack, you should be lucky I didn't call the proper authorities. So don't give me the whole lecture on I wasn't thinking- I was air-deprived!"

Lauren put her face in her hand and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Are you going to behave now?"

"Yes, Lauren."

"Good," the skipper turned to Phoebe. "You going to be alright, hun? The burn on your stomach isn't bad- seems the dress you're wearing protected you. It's a rather tough material- where did you get it?"

Zelda helped Phoebe to her feet, and seeing that she was in no pain, maybe except for a slight bruise- no burns, she inspected the dress as well.

"Oh, are you sure you got it from my closet?"

Phoebe shook her head in confusion. "Yeah, I did. Wait what the frick just happened?!"

"Silly," Elise tittered. "Well, let's see, Lauren won in less than five minutes- a new personal goal, may I add... Oh- and I shot you with a flare, but other than that; nothing else important."

Phoebe's face fell into a frown, "Allow me to introduce to you the nearest window, or a tall bridge... Either will do."

Elise giggled, and mockingly poked the air in front of her. "Sassy, Phoebe- so who's ready for part _deux_?"

Lauren inspected the winged girl. "You gonna be alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine- you're right, it don't hurt too much. Now let's get this over with." Phoebe nodded a bit too enthusiastically. She didn't want to seem too weak in front of them, or too uninterested, but really it already felt like this game was going to head into disaster.

So when Phoebe and the rest of the girls restarted the game with Elise aiming for the sky this time, the winged girl tried to keep a low profile.

By low profile it meant jumping from tree to tree, using her wings to float over to each branch. She cautiously looked out for her fellow friends, but she knew that one of them would show their face eventually. The island in itself was rather small- the arena smaller, and it seemed no matter how far she tried to hide, the only good cover came from the dense shrubbery. But it seemed the strategy had worked so far since two of the players were already out, they had 'died' five minutes earlier, and if she had to guess it was Elise and Tammy.

So sitting down on a sturdy tree branch(her weight was much less now that she was a winged human)that was close to the ground, Phoebe cursed herself. All she had as a weapon was the paint gun and her wits- absolutely no weapons, and unprepared for this game. Maybe she should use her flight to her advantage? No one else would expect it, and there was no light out except for the small lanterns that marked the edges of the arena.

 _Wait,_ Phoebe snapped. That's where the remaining girls should be hiding! Maybe they weren't mere mortals, but they still couldn't see in the dark... Was that why Lauren warned her to stay in the center, to be away from all the action? Just in case she couldn't go one on one with trained fighters?

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "Of course they don't see me as a threat- she just wants me to wait it out... Well two can play at that game."

The winged girl wickedly smiled as a plan started forming in her head, and before she could stop herself the girl let out a triumphant chortle.

Yet that was her biggest mistake.

Because the very next second, Tammy(apparently she hadn't 'died' yet) flew up behind her.

"Surprise, idjit!"

And before Phoebe could try and fly away, the girl quickly tazed her.

Phoebe's small body shook as the little nozzle made her feel pain course through every inch of her body, an even worse sensation then when Vanessa tried to take over, and the next second she was on the forest floor.

Thankfully, the pain only lasted for barely a second, and the next moment after that the winged girl was shot, and splattered in neon pink paint, all over her stomach.

It took some effort, but Phoebe managed to sit up,(she had a very high pain tolerance, funny story about that later) "Did you just taze me?!"

Tammy snorted. "Yeah, and it was _impressive_ ," her voice became slightly higher in pitch as she emphasized the last word.

"But-but that's not fair!" Phoebe spluttered out, as she shakily rose to her feet, trying to stop herself from slapping Tammy on the face.

Tammy's face fell into a mocking shocked face. "Life isn't fair? Why wasn't I told?"

Phoebe's face fell into a scowl. "Hey, moron, I get it, I made a mistake-"

Tammy slowly clapped cutting her off. "Lesson Five complete: learn from your mistakes."

"Lesson Six: don't mock the people you've bested when the battle isn't," a mothering tone quipped just behind Tammy. And the next moment, the owl-winged girl was splattered with neon orange paint all over her left tawny wing.

A cannon boomed in the distance.

"LAUREN HAS WON _AGAIN,_ LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!" Inigo snorted at his own little joke. "HOW DOES SHE DO IT?!"

* * *

The fourth round was not much better for Phoebe. Thanks to Zelda and her mad judo skills with her staff. Tammy won that one.

Or the fifth. Elise had shot her in the back. Turns out she was a master of disguise because, turns out she was a rock, that dumb umbrella of hers... Ever since then, Phoebe was quite suspicious of every stone around her, unsurprisingly, Lauren won.

Or the sixth. Phoebe didn't want to talk about it. But Zelda won, in a landslide, literally.

Heck, not even the seventh, and she accidentally got Tammy when she was aiming for the rock nearby her, who she thought was Elise.

The eighth, she was so close, but Lauren still won.

Mostly due to the fact that she was very close to winning, but she had made the mistake of taking out Elise, with Lauren nearby.

Phoebe was now sporting some really dark rope burns along her right wrist because of that one experience. So now that she had a slightly bruised stomach, hurt wrist, and the scratch marks along her body combined with her swollen cheekbone, the last two thanks to Tammy.

At this point, the winged girl had assumed her new 'friends' were trying to kill her, but this was in fact there twisted wait in having fun. Personally, Phoebe might've found it entertaining had she not been losing, because believe it or not, the girl got quickly disheartened when she wasn't good at something. And she was very competitive, sot the fact that she kept losing made this experience pretty terrible for her, and sporting injuries weren't that great either.

Round nine ended up with Lauren shooting her in the throat.

But don't worry, the paintballs weren't like the ones Phoebe was used to, they were fifty times softer on the skin, and were not painful in anyway, but the paint was something that couldn't come off. Supposedly, it prompted everyone to not get hit, because you could not wash off until dawn arrived, and it left a big target on yourself, wherever you hid.

But she didn't lose hope, if anything it seemed to strengthen as each round passed, and with it her plan of ultimate revenge... Yet because she didn't consider herself a villainous type of character, she called it the 'I got'cha, you little turd!'

* * *

In the beginning of the tenth round, Phoebe chose to instead of jumping around tree to tree, she decided that staying in one place would fare her much better.

And really her strategy was correct, for once.

It didn't help that every villain she had faced she at least moderately understood, thanks to her constant viewing of all her favorite Disney movies. but these people she was just starting to understand their fighting style.

Zelda was the first to come across her path, the tall blonde was wearing her jeans and a black collared shirt that helped her camouflage better in the dark. But even she was not used to the dark, being naturally inclined to light, the girl liked to loiter around it to help with her particular strategy of catching her enemy unawares. Because who would expect anybody to wait around for someone in the light? and once catching them off guard, she would attack using the long wooden staff she walked around with.

The light wood was cut from a strong tree of hickory, easily half a foot taller than her, and despite her skill of marksmanship, the girl took quite a fancy to how smooth and graceful the staff required the user to be. Allowing the person to attack every front to the person, whether it be their gut, knees, or even face, if need be, but usually, she would put a blade at the end of the staff. Yet because it was a friendly game, she had taken it off for this occasion only.

Phoebe waited patiently behind a shrubbery and gently caressed the cat she had stolen.

Yes, she stole a cat, wits required resources, and the ginger she-cat just so happened to be sleeping in a bush the winged girl found not far from where she now hid.

The cat was required to scare this particular cowgirl, or elicit an emotion of rage, either would do in this situation.

"Alright, Squirrelflight," Phoebe had allowed the cat to make herself comfortable on her lap, but now, she picked her up like a baby. "You're going to so hate me for this- but I promise you a juicy vole if you comply."

The cat gave her a bemused look. This was due to the cat's inability to understand English. Evolution had yet to catch up to this feline apparently.

Sighing, Phoebe threw the cat out of the bush. The winged girl watched as the cat's arms were spread out trying to land, but unluckily for her landed on Zelda's back.

The cowgirl released a squeal of surprise at the feeling of something dagger-like impaling itself into her shoulder, causing her to drop her staff and every drop of dignity she owned, but then horror crossed her face when she realized what was on her shoulder.

"Cat!"

As she tried to rip off the cat that was hanging onto dear life for safety, Zelda turned around to find herself face to face with Phoebe. "You-"

Not wasting a second, Phoebe whipped out her pistol and point-blank shot Zelda in the middle of her chest, before the girl could even reach for her own weapon.

Once the deed was done, Zelda managed to successfully rip Squirrelflight off her shoulder and threw her ten feet away, but thankfully she landed on her feet.

"Why did you throw a cat at me?!"

Phoebe smirked. "She just wanted a hug, don't be a jerk about it."

Zelda glared at her, but after a while she laughed it off. "That was actually pretty great- now come on we have other people to catch!"

"Oh yeah, you're on my team now... So who's left?"

"Lauren caught Elise and Tammy, now it's just between the two of you."

Phoebe nodded slowly. "Hmm... How would you fight them?"

Zelda cocked her head, as if she was deep in thought. "Cats wouldn't work- you got lucky, but Lauren and cats have a worse mix, for some reason they run away from her. I believe it to be from her mother's side- they see too much of the wolf pack in her."

"So she's a werewolf now?"

"No, hun, a huntress. She bears an awful curse, one her mother passed down to her because she broke her vow of chastity."

Phoebe's lips became a straight line. "That's when women give birth to kids right?"

Zelda looked at Phoebe strangely, as if she was trying to analyze what Phoebe was implying, but then getting something completely different as her future vision saw a very interesting potential timeline for the winged girl

"Sort of...?"

Phoebe's eyes lit up. "Okay, thanks I've been waiting for someone to clear that up with me."

Zelda was about to say something, but she knew that this was one of those rare moments that she could not interfere with Fate. A fixed point in time she called it.

"Um- I don't think we need to go look for them, hun," Zelda said suddenly.

Phoebe's eyebrows lifted in suspicion, "What makes you say that?"

"Lauren is born and bred a huntress, the only one she may be, but she is no prey, and, girl, she's sending Tammy to scout for us. Owls have night vision, right?"

Phoebe's green eyes spread in horror, but then a malicious idea. "Yes, I wonder how they react to extreme light."

Zelda shook her head, "Nah, I've seen owls see pretty good during the day, they literally have perfect hearing too."

Phoebe stared at her mouth wide-open. "Then why are we talking?!" the girl hissed.

Zelda covered her mouth to stop a laugh issuing out, but a huge grin marked her face. "Wow, that was an important detail, huh? Wait- duck!"

Zelda roughly shoved Phoebe down, out of the way of the paint ball that was aimed where the girl once stood.

Phoebe tried to sit up, but, Zelda held her down, and pushed her small body underneath a nearby bush, the same one she hid in to take out Zelda. But still, Zelda ran out of time as she tried to shove the girl's wings under the bush, trying to make them look nonexistent .

"Why did you do that?!"

"Grab your pistol, trust me," Zelda harshly whispered in Phoebe's ear. "Young has one fatal flaw that will never change!"

Appearing out of the dark and into the light, Tammy with her wide honey eyes stared down at Zelda triumphantly, her paint gun in hand.

It had only been five minutes earlier when Lauren had taken her down by waiting in a tree, waiting patiently for her to fly by. With the use of Elise's camouflage umbrella, they both had tackled the girl and successfully 'killed' her, using the rope to bind her wings down. Since then, in accordance to the rules, Tammy had been set to hunt down the two remaining players, and now that she had managed to corner them, all she had to do was get rid of Phoebe and let Lauren win the round.

"You guys talk way too much... So where's Phoebe?" The sunburned girl asked, as she landed back on the ground, circling her friend like a caged animal.

Zelda smirked, and grabbed a feather that had fallen off of Phoebe in her hustle trying to stuff said girl in a bush. "Oh she's here..."

"Yeah right," Tammy scoffed, but her eyes said otherwise as they drifted to and fro searching for the small winged girl.

Zelda laughed at this action. "Ya know, for a girl with owl eyes, you're still not observant."

"What do you m-" Tammy was cut off when suddenly a bright neon blue paint splattered across her face, coating her hair and parts of her wing.

"Bless your sweet heart, that's a gift from lil' ol' Texas!" Phoebe snapped.

Tammy's mouth fell open in a silent scream, her plan had seriously backfired. "Elise, now would be great!"

"Right oh," the flapper girl exclaimed, but her voice seemed to be emanating from a rock. This seemingly normal rock suddenly disappeared as the thin Asian girl suddenly appeared in the place of the rock, with her umbrella serving as the disguise.

Phoebe gasped at her appearance, _So that's how Elise got me that one time- her umbrella's magical!_

But her gasp changed from awed to stunned as Elise revealed her own pistol in her other hand and swiftly took down Zelda without a moment's hesitation, splattering the girl with neon pink paint.

Phoebe's eyes widened, and a strange feeling of calm spread throughout her. Before she could comprehend what she was doing, the girl rolled out of her hiding place, and point blank tackled Elise to the ground, by launching herself at her.

Despite being short and weighing one-third less than what the average girl her size should weigh, Phoebe still had much more weight and muscle combined to knock the thin girl to the ground.

While on top of her, Phoebe was surprised how easily Elise caved in and threw her pistol aside, so not wasting a second, the winged girl quickly stood back up and shot Elise on her stomach.

"Phoebe you did it!" Tammy cheered off to the side.

Zelda sat criss-cross applesauce next to her and similarly praised Phoebe. "Yes! Two girls on your first successful round! And just three hours away from sunrise."

"We've been doing this for five hours?!"

"Well, you have lost ten rounds," Elise pointed out. The girl sat in a puddle of the paint as she tried to not faint from the awful clash of navy blue with neon orange "-Your shortest being five seconds- thanks to _moi_ , and your longest being this one. Seriously, forty-nine minutes, good job," she apathetically stated.

"Thanks?"

"Hey, you better run," Tammy pointed out. "Lauren's still out there, and since all of us have died twice in one round, we can't assist you."

Phoebe groaned. "Forgot about that... So I've never made it this far- can I use y'all's weapons?"

Elise put an offended hand over her heart. "Absolutely not- my umbrella only works for me."

Phoebe sighed. "Well, you guys are a lot of help- I really expect some lessons in fighting after this," the girl walked on without turning to them as she said this.

"Oh?" Zelda breathed out. "Are you accepting an invitation into our club?"

Phoebe stopped and turned around, making eye contact with each of them. "Joining is more likely, but dear lord, I'm afraid I'm going to regret it."

* * *

"Well here it is folks," Inigo announced into the fake microphone he held in his hands- which was actually a chocolate bar he was slowly devouring. "The tides are turning to Phoebe's favor, but will she be able to win against a girl who's won more than forty percent of this games? Find out after these unethical unsponsored advertisements!"

Drew looked at Inigo funnily. "You don't get out much do you?"

"Nope!"

Drew rolled her eyes at the boy and continued to pet all five cats that had made her way into her lap.

Chairman Meow-Meow, Colonel Schnazzy-pants, Professor Puddin-pop, The good king snuggle-wumps, and Kevin, yes she had named them all, in fact. Turns out, from what Inigo told her that they usually don't name the cats because that can give them a crazy inferiority complex and because they always expected to be fed; which they were, but free snuggles was not part of the contract.

Inigo chose to turn his attention back to the cameras and watched as Phoebe, made her way to where Lauren was waiting for her. This was one of the skipper's favorite strategies when she was feeling especially cunning; it was the call of the hunt inside of her. Always beckoning her to hunt something down, people were rarely part of this list or anything living, but it was part of her nature. A nature she inherited from her cruel mother, but something she had tried to suppress over the years, and now Phoebe was to be her latest hunt.

Taking a long swig of hot chocolate, Inigo smiled to himself. Oh was the fight going to be so good! Yet for now he had duties to take care of.

Looking at the twenty cameras in front of him, that were organized in a symmetrical four by five pattern, the boy noticed something unusual.

"What's going on with that one?" Drew pointed at the one he was currently fixated on.

"I don't know..."

On camera number twenty, the camera started glitching. While not unusual, machines malfunction all the time after all, but when the static did clear away and revealed the night vision of one of the three docks on the island. The area that the video was live feeding was not of the same spot it was positioned at, rather it was now only facing the sky.

It was as if someone had moved it.

Inigo put a finger to the his microphone, sending a message to Zelda that something was wrong.

"Hey, 'Zel? Can you check camera twenty?"

"Sure, why?"

"It looks like someone moved it to the sky- do you think it could be Lauren? Cuz that is her area."

Inigo heard his connection with Zelda falter, but he did hear a little bit of Tammy and Elise's voices in the background.

"Inigo, you still there?" Zelda called back.

"Roger."

"I asked Elise and Tam, but they said that doesn't sound like her. She rather likes to videotape her fights to look over and see if she made any mistakes."

"Yeah, that doesn't sound like Lauren..." Inigo agreed. "And it can't be Phoebe, because I've been watching her the entire time, you know in case of another Elise incident happening, but she hasn't neared that camera all night."

Zelda cursed under her breath. "Okay, we're going to go check that area out, I've got Elise and Tam with me, so update us if anything else happens. But don't worry, one of our alarms would have set off anyway it's not like whoever is causing this got on here by foot. You have to fly here if you must."

"I hear ya," Inigo sighed. "I'll keep a lookout for other cameras if anything happens. I've got Drew here still and I'll send her out with a cat if I must- it could just be old Hatty or any of the other Haunted Mansion ghosts up with their old tricks again."

"I hope you're right..." Zelda mumbled, and signed off.

"Who's 'Hatty?" Drew asked, as she carefully removed all five of her cats, except for Kevin, and stood up to inspect the cameras more closely.

"He's the hatbox ghost, he doesn't really have a name," Inigo said distractedly, paying careful attention of the screen.

The boy watched Lauren in Camera 19 pacing around, waiting for Phoebe to show up.

Looking over to Camera 17, the short blonde came into Inigo's view, her large pearly wings bright even in the dark of the night. As she stopped to check her surroundings, the boy returned his watch over the other videos, when suddenly just like Camera 20, number 18 was starting to glitch.

"Zelda! 18's going down too! Are you by either one?"

"Is it the wind?" Drew quipped.

Inigo looked back up, and for a second he felt his blood freeze as the camera panned to the sky.

"It's not the wind... I repeat! It is not the wind! Zelda someone's moving the cameras!"

Receiving no response, Inigo took the microphone off his head and realized with a start that the battery was dead.

Only once had this happened before, and the last time...

"Drew! Grab a cat and try to find one of the girl's out there, just hurry!" Inigo took out a blaster from his pocket and handed it to the tall wavy-haired teen.

"You're trusting me with one of these?" Drew questioned. "Eh, whatever, just where are they, exactly?"

* * *

Anthony led Nox by the reins through the tunnels underneath Tom Sawyer's Island. He always wondered why the people who inhabited this island chose to leave the tunnels unguarded, especially since it was one of their weakest defenses.

But hey, if it helped him out, he didn't care.

So far he was looking for Phoebe, and he was using Injun Joe's special tunnels to open up to various parts of the island. First he was at a dock, then he was... Actually he didn't really know where he was, he wasn't that good with memorizing things when it came to topside, underground- that was his specialty.

It had only been eight minutes and thirty seconds when his father had sent him off to tie up 'loose ends' as he called it, but really, Anthony knew that if he wanted to get his block put on, he would have to stay resigned to the Underworld for a while.

He didn't know why, but he liked it better to be kept in the dark about some things. His mom always taught him that knowing everything left you broken, and being death incarnate wasn't that great, thanks to all the knowledge it gave him... So much loss and pain...

But never mind that, he had less than an hour to go.

Tying Nox on a conveniently placed pole for tying horses, Anthony walked out of the tunnels.

He wore his white mask like always, but he was wearing it more for privacy issues, and because he knew that he wouldn't have to wear that mask for a long time, if his dad's plan worked out.

The pitch black atmosphere of the tunnels did not change as he exited the tunnels, but his eyes adjusted to the vast darkness of the Underworld did not complain, if anything he welcomed it, and accepted the strange feeling of longing to return home.

After moving another camera to the sky, the boy fixed the long black jacket he wore, and climbed a nearby tree, so he could see where he was, exactly.

Once reaching a good height, Anthony inspected the world beneath him when suddenly he saw something glowing in the dark. Something neon green, pink, orange, and even a purple stood out on a small figure as it approached where another girl was currently watching her from behind the very tree the boy was on.

Coupled with the neon paint and pearly wings, Phoebe was easily recognizable, and to Anthony's growing horror, he realized what was going on.

It's that game they're playing... Tag your death? No... Eh, something along those lines.

But Lauren was undoubtedly one of the best people at this game, and if he was correct, this was Phoebe's initiation...

Anthony looked from the small winged girl to the battle-hardened smuggler.

It wasn't very hard to figure out who was going to win this round.

And from the state that Phoebe was in, she needed some help.

So when it was that the winged girl was literally six feet in front of Lauren, and she didn't even realize that, Anthony did the only thing he could come up with.

Considering how Lauren could see in the dark well, but she couldn't see everything, she was still mortal, no amount of godly blood could fix that.

The boy jumped down from the tree and casually snapped a tree branch with his leather boot, a sound that Lauren was taught as a sign that she was not alone.

Anthony lit a branch just inches from Lauren's head on fire. Causing both girl's to flinch in surprise, but to Phoebe, since she was farther away, it was the chance she needed to get a shot at Lauren.

So ducking down in the underbrush like she had done with Tammy, Phoebe tried to position herself to get a perfect hit on Lauren's back.

Yet the apprehension was clouding up Phoebe's judgment and pulled the trigger too soon.

Phoebe and even Anthony cursed her mistake.

Lauren saw the ball of paint hit the tree trunk beside her head, and the skipper immediately went into full hunter mode, and extinguished the flame, bringing the darkness back, before she rolled onto the floor, pistol out trying to listen for where Phoebe was hiding.

Seeing that she was getting too close to him, Anthony put all his energy into turning into smoke. He had only achieved this so many times, but not for very long, and distance affected the outcome as well.

But still he had to make sure Phoebe wins, and then he'd isolate her from her friends and give her the key.

Yeh...

Putting all his might into the transfiguration, Anthony disappeared and swirled over Lauren's feet and momentarily swirled over Phoebe's ear.

"Upper-left, Phebes, she doesn't know where you are."

Mistaking the voice for Vanessa, Phoebe listened and aimed for where he said, and that my dear friends was how the girl who literally lost every round, won only thanks to cheating.

She is a model for all her future children I assure you.

When Phoebe heard Lauren's shocked, "Hey!" the winged girl got up from underneath the bush, and once removing the branch that was stuck in her hair, the girl whooped with triumph, but that all disappeared when she did as well.

Lauren's eyes widened in shock when she saw a tendril of smoke expanded and swirled around her, absorbing her and disappeared without the girl to be seen.

Forgetting the sour taste of defeat, Lauren went into full mother bear mode, shouting for Phoebe, and calling for the group to locate the winged girl.

* * *

Anthony had never held the smoke form for more than thirty seconds, so lasting a full minute and a half with another person was an impressive feat, but once he reached twenty feet away with Phoebe in tow, he returned to solid form.

Phoebe was discarded a few feet away from him as his form solidified, and the girl was left confused on the place where she now laid.

Anthony groaned rather loudly at himself for not thinking this threw. He couldn't talk to her in his weakened state, much less make a conversation with her friends nearby.

Suddenly, from out of the bushes, a red tom cat ran straight towards him and attacked him.

Anthony screamed as the cat's claws made it underneath his mask and ripped it off.

The boy felt the coolness of night seep into his face, and tried to cover his face, forgetting that he wasn't in death mode at the moment.

The red tom cat was soon followed by a tall blonde female, with ice blue eyes.

She looked from the mask to the boy to Phoebe, and did a double take as a message flashed in her mind.

 ** _B_** _ring the mask to us, Zelda dearest._

The cowgirl's face fell when she figured out who was contacting her.

Anthony cursed himself for letting one of the group members catch sight of him, and knowing that he needed to find a different approach, he called for Nox, and thanked every underworld god for whoever gave thestrals the power to travel by shadow, and watched in as the landscape changed.

* * *

Zelda watched with curious eyes as Anthony disappeared, but before Tammy or anyone else showed up the girl picked up the mask and stuffed it into her side bag.

And that was when the alarms started blaring.

* * *

"Phoebe in here!"

Tammy ran in front of Phoebe, trying to find the trapdoor that lead to the bunker. Once finding the door, underneath the pile of leaves, the owl-winged girl lead Phoebe into the underground bunker that served as the head of the group's security.

The rather large base made up a majority of the center of the island, separated away from the shoreline to prevent water damage. At the end of the room, there was a large wall that was covered in twenty television screens depicting what their security cameras were picking up, and a rectangular metallic table was set up beneath them that allowed the controller to move the camera's, set off a trap, or turn on the security alarm.

And right now the sirens were blaring, and an alarm light flashed red above them, giving everyone in the room the appearance of some fiendish sight.

"Inigo get off," she ordered. "What the hell was that?!"

"I don't even know!" The tall boy exclaimed, getting out of the chair. "The cats noticed it first, and Kevin set off the alarm."

Said ginger cat sat proudly on the large keyboard, waiting to be rewarded with a juicy mouse or a rub behind the ears, but instead he got picked up by Drew.

Tammy pulled out the chair in front of the panel and set to work, doing her nightly duties of scouting the island, but this time it wasn't a drill.

Phoebe nodded slowly, a migraine was starting to make its way across her brain. She vaguely started to remember that she hadn't eaten or taken a sip of water in over thirty-six hours on her clock, well except for the berry, but now she was starting to feel the effects of eating only that. The events of the game, though, left her physically and mentally exhausted.

"What even?" Elise commented from behind them.

Zelda entered the room behind all of them. "Phoebe, Drew go home. We need to get you off this island immediately. Whatever that thing was that tried to kidnap you, it might come back, and if it's dangerous it won't follow you to your realm."

Phoebe nodded in understanding. "Yeah, we need to return home anyway. Our parents must be really worried, and all the homework I gotta makeup- wow..."

Zelda gave her a grim smile. "I'm sorry that this was not the kind of celebration you deserved for officially becoming part of us."

Phoebe nodded. "Eh, you guys can surprise me or whatever... I'll see y'all in a week, maybe less. Here's my cell phone number and my address, if you need me. Ask for Belle if you can't find me, she's one of my main confidants."

Elise neatly wrote down Phoebe's contact information and walked her and her sister out to a strange device that looked like a portal.

Designed by Zelda and Tammy, created by Inigo, they had successfully created a portal that could lead to the outside world, but rarely did it work for anyone, except for Tammy who could use it all the time since she was of the real world.

And once the portal started up, Phoebe gave Lauren a hesitant hug.

"Hey, thanks for the advice you gave me tonight."

Lauren smiled, "Don't mention it, now go. We'll see you again," she promised.

So when Phoebe and Drew arrived back home, to the very one they had left without coming back for two weeks, the sisters, took one look at their bedrooms, and while one noticed the change the other fell asleep, trying to process all that she learned.

* * *

Anthony looked around the darkened room. He sat outside on a ledge, and used the open window to sneak into the bedroom. Whoever thought it was a logical idea to leave the window open, clearly wasn't expecting a teenager to sneak in, but then again, Anthony seemed to disregard this fact.

Yet, he would never ever sneak into a girl's room, but he considered that in light of the situation it was of the utmost importance.

And since his little 'quest' was supposed to be as sneaky as possible- he had successfully stolen his dad's helmet, just in case, thank the gods too. How could he lose his mask to a cat?

But when all else fails, a little Hades ex machina always seemed to do the trick.

Oh, and because of the last incident with Pinocchio, Tadashi now served as his very own Jiminy Cricket, and followed him all the way to the modern world, in case he misbehaved again. And everywhere for that matter. Turns out ghosts are not the best at personal space.

"You know, since you're the ghost, why don't you go in to check if someone's inside?"

Tadashi shook his head, he floated beside the boy, his signature baseball cap rested on his brow. "And disrespect the privacy of a teenage girl?"

Anthony couldn't stop the blush from streaking across his face. "I'm not a stalker."

"You're not making your case any better, y'know," Tadashi smirked, crossing his translucent arms.

"Sometimes I count myself lucky you're dead."

"And sometimes I count myself lucky that you were the one who killed me," the shade sarcastically snapped, but he almost felt bad for saying it, as Anthony physically flinched, and averted his gaze.

Tadashi sighed. "Buddy- can you please hurry up, you never know when she's coming back."

Still not making eye contact, Anthony nodded and took a tentative step onto the carpeted floor, and placed his other foot in. His torso bended downwards to allow his entire body to fit through the window, and as his head passed through, he was in the clear.

"Death Master to Casper... I'm in. What is your position? Over." Anthony loudly whispered, and spoke into his hand pretending it was a walkie-talkie.

"I'm right he-"

"Shh- they could walk in at any moment!"

Tadashi suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and remained silent, at least Anthony had sustained his good mood. Thank the gods for that block. It was like everyday he was slipping more and more into his moods, and all of them made him less of Anthony and more of that Yellow Eyes spirit, if it wasn't for Madame Leota, who knows how crazy he would get.

Anthony walked deeper into the room and studied the two beds that made up a majority of the room. Each bed was a complete opposite of the other- while one had simple sky blue bed sheets and lacy white pillows, the other, was bright neon green with zebra striped pillows.

Even the room was styled half and half, with one side being completely blue while the other side was decorated with neon greens and yellows. One side was neat and orderly and the other was messy with clothes strewn across a computer and a television while papers stuck out from underneath the bed and half-opened drawers.

"Oh crap, two girls live here..."

Tadashi's head peeped through one of the walls, but he had placed one of his hands in front of his eyes.

"Well, here's my two cents, place the thing on what's her face's bed."

"It's Phoebe, seriously, but I don't know which one is her bed."

Tadashi snorted, and slightly opened up his hand, letting one eye scan the room. "Sure you do, didn't you mention how she always wears blue?"

"I know that, but it's just the blue side is _so_ messy... I didn't think she was so disorganized. Gods I'm gonna have a heart attack."

Tadashi sighed heavily, and chose to use this as his chance to exit the room, leaving Anthony to his own devices.

"Dear sweet Persephone, would it kill her to clean just a little bit?! And wow- where is the carpet? Why did her parents only furnish half a room with car-"

Anthony felt his rant come to a close as the closet door swung open revealing a swirling white vortex.

"Oh crap-" the boy for a second remembered that he had the Helm of Darkness on. _Just gotta stay quiet, not that hard... Hopefully,_ he thought.

The two sisters slipped through the portal with ease, both had their hair in a wild mess and their eyes looked heavy and tired, but the glint of amusement was prevalent in Drew's eyes.

"Dude, tag your dead is the best freaking game ever when you did that thing with your paint ball gun- just wow?"

All she received was a groan from her sister. "Shh- mom and dad are gonna wake up."

"Oops... Sorry, I'm just ready to go back on a new adventure!"

The winged girl, though, looked incredibly exhausted. The off the shoulder sleeves were ripped off and there was a large tear along the hem of her dress, she had a small bruise forming along the side of her right cheek, and she cradled her right arm like it was causing her some pain.

Anthony was surprised seeing her in a dress, the only clothes he'd ever seen her wear were those tom boy shirts and jeans, and the dress... Fit her well.

"You're a dork and a wanted fugitive now." Phoebe yawned, and kicked off her boots, thank goodness Elise had insisted on giving her them, they certainly worked like a charm.

Phoebe was the first one to fall onto her bed. She didn't even bother to change out of her gown or pull back the covers of her bed, and hit the hay faster than she's ever done before.

"Now go to bed... Mom's probably... Worried since you know... We've been gone a week..." Phoebe yawned again. "Or three... I don't care right n-" The winged girl's voice caught off and instead was replaced by the lightest little snore.

Anthony felt a small grin form at the sight of Phoebe's snore. It was so adorable, it almost made her seem normal, despite the pair of huge pearly wings that sat between her shoulder blades.

"Good night, Phoebe," Drew rolled her eyes. Sometimes she wished Phoebe would lighten up for once and stop pretending that the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

Sighing, Drew suddenly felt a yawn escape her lips. Then without thinking she flipped back her hair and for a second, she thought she hit something.

Anthony stumbled back, he had not realized how close he was to Drew, and because of that her thick hair tickled his nose, and before he could stop himself from covering his mouth, he released a sneeze.

Phoebe rolled to her side and muttered, "Bless you."

Without thinking, Anthony replied with a simple, "Thank you..."

Phoebe snorted in her sleep, she didn't seem to realize or care that the voice was not her sister's or even remotely female. "You're welcome, you dork."

 _Did she just...?_

Drew's eyes darted from Phoebe's sleeping form to where the source of the voice seemed come from.

"What the heck?"

Anthony froze, even his breath became hitched in his chest. _Well holy damn freaking crap, I'm caught, I am caught. My headstone will say: Here lies Anthony he died cuz he was an idiot stalker. I wonder where he got_ that _from._

But Drew just shrugged. After everything that she had been through, having a voice in her room, wasn't as bad as it would've been two weeks ago.

"Well I'm going to go change, see ya mister ghost. Please don't loiter." Drew promptly left the room, like this whole situation wasn't bizarre.

And just like that, after three months of trying to reunite with Phoebe, here Anthony was, in her room, without anyone else present. Wow... The only problem, though, was that she was passed out.

He inched toward her, and watched as her body barely moved, save for the silent breaths she took. She looked so peaceful as if her entire day wasn't filled with murderous bird humans intent on extracting revenge or like she was an escaped convict. He would do anything to make her life peaceful even give her back her memories.

Anthony looked down at his hands, where had that thought come from?

Oh, he knew where...

Yellow Eyes was here in the room too, just in Anthony's mind, where only he could hear him.

 _"I will always be with you Antonius, no matter what you wear, I am_ always _by your side. Be it in your mind, but out of sight."_

 _That wasn't an invitation!_ Anthony screamed in his mind.

The boy took in a large breath, trying to calm himself down. Yet he felt reality come rushing back, not from his the buildup of his emotions, but because he saw something glint on Phoebe's side: His dagger.

The winged girl had on a thin belt, and attached to it was a black scabbard that barely accommodated the blade. It was clearly too small, but Phoebe had managed to shove the dagger in as much as possible, yet that left some of the reflective surface to catch the light of the waxing moon.

"She kept it," Anthony whispered.

He didn't know why a feeling of elation coursed through him. Could it possibly mean that she remembered him? Could she feel the connection between him and the dagger- was that the reason she kept it? Oh gods, was her memory fighting against the effects of Lethe?

He should wake her now and see if she remembered him. He'd take off the helm and say: 'Hey, and welcome to the horrors of Disney, I am your host- you know... Anthony?' He would wiggle his eyebrows at her, causing her to blush and she would laugh and look shyly away, like she did that one time underneath the bridge at Cinderella Castle.

She even reacted to his sneeze! Something, maybe a small part of her remembered him.

Yes, all she needed to do was see his face again, then she would- she would... Would she be angry? Shocked? Both? No, she would be overjoyed, Anthony told himself.

But what if she was not- what if she hated him for everything he did from working with Maleficent and being the son of Hades. Gods, she would flip. Maybe he could show her he wasn't bad what if... Anthony paled.

Am I really considering that?

 _"Tick tock, Antonius, it's quite easy stealing- kidnapping, and if I do recall your father excelled in it."_

Oh no, he was considering it... No! he fought the voice, "Stop planting your ideas in my head!"

"Come now boy, it won't be hard... You wouldn't be the first, nor the last for that matter," Yellow Eyes droned, but unlike the last time he spoke to him, the spirit sounded distant, and his usually persuasive tone sounded tired and drained, like the mere conversation he was having was almost too much for him.

"I can't do it..." Anthony simply stated. And when he muttered those words, he knew that he was telling the truth. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, waiting for Yellow Eyes' response.

 _"What are you saying, boy? Of course you can- she's already asleep. You need her- how else can you retain your sanity?!"_ Yellow Eyes weakly argued. He was on his wit's end, Vanessa was residing in that girl, and if the boy already had an infatuation with the host, maybe it could work with his machinations.

 _"She has the dagger,"_ the spirit continued. _"Isn't it a sign from Fate?! Your dreams will only get worse without that dagger, and with the both of them imagine it... You can probably get rid of me!"_

Anthony suddenly opened his eyes, the blue fire of his irises burned into the room as he stared into a blank wall.

"Then you would get rid of me..."

Anthony heard a dark chuckle echo in his mind. It was almost like the rumble of a church organ in its lowest octave.

 _"Right you are, son of Persephone. Right you are... but even you can't deny your desire to have me leave... Yet that is for another time. Remember Antonius, I am a generous spirit, you should try and listen to me, you'd be surprised of the rewards..."_

And like water spilled over a dry patch of earth, the voice disappeared back into the dark recesses of Anthony's mind, waiting patiently for when sleep would overtake the boy.

Good riddance, Anthony huffed. The boy got down on one knee, increasing the proximity between his face with Phoebe's. He could easily just reach over and take back his dagger, she would never even notice it was gone.

"Should I be concerned?"

Anthony flinched back in surprise. "Tadashi," he whispered, trying not to wake the sleeping girl. "What the _hell_ , man?"

"I'm sorry," Tadashi faked a worried expression. "But seeing how I left two minors alone in a bedroom of all places, without anyone around, don't you think I would get suspicious?"

The invisible boy rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, I'm done, damnit!" Anthony turned around and reached into his pack and pulled out a what looked to be like a mask. He looked at it curiously, the blue and silver mask had taken him what two minutes to make, but for some reason, he had the strangest feeling about giving it to Phoebe.

She would certainly suspect something, and knowing her she'd go crazy looking for the person who gave it to her.

Anthony sighed heavily, and snapped his fingers, and in an instant the base of the mask turned green and the silver darkened into a bright gold, and he set it down gently, not on Phoebe's bed, but Drew's.

"There, happy conscience?"

"Hey, " Tadashi raised his glowing green hands in front of him, in a mock defense. "I'm just making sure you walk down the path of righteousness."

"Well, what if I want to go down the path that rocks, huh? Ever thought of that, mister doubting mustafah?" Anthony sarcastically quipped as he slipped out the window, like before.

"Well, it's a good thing your Hades' son, then."

" _True_."

Drew reopened her bedroom door, and was almost relieved to see that everything was exactly how she'd left it. Sleeping sister, open window- should fix that, messy floors on Phoebe's side. Yup, it's all good in the hood, the girl thought as she made way to her sister's side of the room and closed the window.

 _Wonder why that was open_ , Drew casually thought, but she pushed it aside as she tiptoed to her bed. A yawn escaped Drew's tired lips and for a second she thought her exhausted eyes saw something out of the ordinary.

So when she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she was shocked to see that there was something on her bed.

There, set neatly on her pillow was a pretty lime green mask. The intricate gold pattern design made Drew gasp in delight, and as she lightly picked it up to inspect it, she was satisfied to find that it was not made of plastic.

But right underneath the mask was a small note.

Curious, Drew opened the small letter and quickly zoomed through it.

 _To Andromeda,_

 _I heard you really wanted a mask, I know your sister didn't want to give you one, but maybe we can bring them back. They are terribly comfortable, and who knows maybe everyone will be wearing one already- all thanks to you!_

 _PS: Tell your sister to clean her side_

 _PPS: Please don't show this to your sister, she'll get jelly._

 _PPPS: Did you know you can make tons of these?_

 _PPPPS: You'll know when you need it._

 _Sincerely, but not really, A._

Drew was rather confused by the little message, but she did not give it much heed as she rushed toward the mirror to try it on.

Tying the mask around her head, Drew couldn't help but pose. Her hand briefly brushed against one side of it, and the girl was rather confused to feel something incredibly bumpy, but she soon forgot as the string came loose and the mask started slipping off her face, so she quickly tried to tie it back, bump forgotten.

So when she set the mask down and decided that her bed had waited long enough, Drew didn't even notice what was hidden in plain sight on the right side of the mask. Sitting prominently along the edge of the mask, surrounded by all sorts of intricate patterns was a little golden key.

A key that, for a second, started glowing the lightest shade of purple.

* * *

Zelda sighed. Sometimes she hated her gift.

Curse her dad for ticking off the Fates right before she was born!

Those three old hags were such a pain, and now that they contact her after five months of silence, they suddenly decide to be all buddy-buddy, again? The nerve.

But still, she was under their service and she had to comply.

Lachesis, Clotho, and Atropos, waited patiently for Zelda to arrive, as they knitted away on the Tapestry of Fate.

The tapestry itself had grown exponentially since the end of Hercules, ever since the Fates started recording other stories, despite not being in the confines of Greece, anymore. No, it seemed they were more obsessed with their job, and even more dangerously, they were plotting something big, Zelda could feel it.

Why else would they summon one of their agents, then to make sure it came true?

"Hellos, ladies!" The girl put on a sickening cheery disposition.

"Ah, Zelda, where have you been dear one? It seems you are lacking on your assignments- I don't see Jakku on your list of visitations quite yet-"

"Oh don't even try to socialize," the girl cut them off. "What are you planning? I brought the mask like you wanted- now speak."

The three Fates share an annoyed look. "What did we even see in this child, much too brazen."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "I have your eye right here! Now talk!"

She threw it at Clotho, the friendliest of the three, the Fate of the present. She was not the tallest, that fell to Lachesis, but she was easy to tell apart because of her green skin.

Clotho squealed. "Oh, please?"

Lachesis sniffed disappointingly, but relented when Clotho threw her the eye. "Fine! Hades has placed a block on his mortal son's psyche, stopping Death in the process!"

Zelda gasped. "You mean, he's halted death?!"

"Yes, it seems ol' flame-head wants to cause more trouble for the Olympians, and we need a replacement."

"Don't you think he did it for his son's sanity?"

The Fates ignored her statement, like always.

Atropos then grabbed Zelda's hand and brought her down so she could whisper into her ear. "And we want one of your friends to host Death for now."

Zelda's mouth dropped open in shock. "What?!"

"Listen, girl," Lachesis continued. "We already knew Hades was going to do this-"

"We do know everything," Atropos and Clotho said together.

"But since the boy was cursed with Death, it is severely attached to the boy, so if he ever comes out and meets the new host of Death, it will immediately go back to him- so your friend will only suffer for a short time."

Zelda put her hand on either side of her face trying to process their words. "How the heck are you going to get this to even work?! He would have to meet the new Death- what reason would he have for meeting our group?"

Atropos leered, and snatched the eye away from Lachesis. "That's why we let that little girl win, she's going to draw the boy out."

"Why, Phoebe?"

"The boy worries over her... He blames himself for the death of those he cares for."

"Why does he care?"

"TOO MANY QUESTIONS!"

Zelda flinched back, "Hey, just wondering. So is Phoebe going to be death, then?"

The Fates shook their head.

"No, you must choose one who cannot be corrupted, one who is strong, and can live with the burden of Death, and Zelda, dear, you better choose quickly, because there must always be Death, remember what we taught you about balance...The boy's mind is being blocked as we speak."

Zelda slowly nodded her head. "Let me be death- I can do-"

"NO! You are our agent, not Death. Now for whoever you choose, remember, for this one time we will give you the choice."

"And free will has lead so many gods and mortals alike to their destruction," The Fates cackled as one, sending wicked chills up Zelda's spine.

Forcing the poor girl to wake up sweating and shaking in her bed.

 _Remember, we **own** you, child._

* * *

 **A/N: Wow is it one in the morning?**

 **Oops. Well sue me. I hope many of you got the references scattered about, and I hope none of you mine the Hispanic influence I put on Phoebe's character. Considering my cultural background I wanted to feel connected to her just a bit more to understand her as a character- so yeah...**

 **Well tell me what it is you like about the chapter? The plot? The characters? Where it's headed?**

 **And as always fave, follow, and review!**

 **Angel of H-d out!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Legacy**

* * *

 _"Every single one's got a story to tell_  
 _Everyone knows about it_  
 _From the Queen of England to the hounds of hell_  
 _And if I catch it comin' back my way_  
 _I'm gonna serve it to you"_

\- Seven Nation Army

* * *

 **A/N: For this chapter italics will denote a memory.**

* * *

For the first time since he was two years old, Anthony felt free.

"Hey, Yellow Eyes, you there?"

But when he felt not even the smallest presence of the dark malevolent spirit, did the boy allow himself to breathe a sigh of relief.

But in his first moment of freedom, Anthony did the last thing he expected to do.

He started to cry.

He cried for the millions that he separated from their loved ones, whether they were old men and women, surrounded by their entire family and having to take their soul away to such a dark and desolate place. People who were happy, and did not deserve their family to be taken away from them.

But even worse were when they were sick, depressed, or lonely.

Anthony had to comfort them, trying to ease their pain when he had to make their souls leave their bodies. He took sympathy for all souls, and tried to soothe them, but these poor souls he treated them like people when no one else would.

And he never forgot their names, either, they left imprints in his mind, after he would use his death-touch on them. When he was finally allowed to use his dagger, the names became imprinted on the blade, and whenever he touched it the memories of people's final moments were there. It helped him cope with his godly duties, for a mortal.

What gods did, the stress of it should never have been given to a mortal, their mind could not take it, but still, it was his punishment for whatever his father had done all those years ago.

Tadashi, Madame Leota, and yes, even his father was there to comfort him, and give him any peace they could offer, but the presence of the one person he wanted the most was not there: Persephone.

She would have been by far the happiest. Persephone gave up everything, her title, her husband, and even her godhood, and for what? All those years trying to fit into the mortal world, adopt mortal traditions and their familiar culture just to raise her son, alone all seemed a waste now.

Yes, it was certainly a bittersweet moment for everyone. For Anthony without his mother, Tadashi and Leota for their Queen, and Hades for his wife.

But they celebrated the legacy she lived when she was with them, and hopefully her future return.

"Damn if only he had thought of the block earlier," Hades cursed inwardly. But he knew that there was an expiration date... There always seemed to be one.

The day was February Fourth, exactly thirteen years to the day when Anthony accepted his godly role of Death as a mortal.

Yet that was not the day Yellow Eyes bonded with Anthony, no, the anniversary of when he bonded with the boy would be June Twenty-First, nearly sixteen years, Hades mused to himself.

Well… When else would you celebrate someone's birthday, then the exact day they were born?

The kid deserved it. He needed to feel loved, even if Hades didn't fully understand that he loves his son.

So much so, that he was willing to put the block even if it meant that he was being summoned to Olympus, and had to deal with Zeus, and oi…

His mother-in-law.

Who in fact, just learned her grandson was still alive.

But hey, different realms, meant different timelines.

* * *

The confrontation, Phoebe had with her parents was startling.

It was _too_ easy. Her parents didn't even realize that Drew and Phoebe had been gone for ten days!

When the two sisters woke up the next day, and headed down to breakfast with a somber cloud hanging over them, they both understood that their parents would be shocked and/or angry. Yet when no accusations of running away or getting expelled from school surfaced, Phoebe and Drew shared a look, and swore with that one glance that whatever happened to their parents it was a blessing.

Yet that wasn't even the scariest part- the scariest part was finding their backpacks filled with assignments they never collected, or even done!

Their dad, he seemed to be the only one who noticed the transformation his daughters had gone through, but he never questioned it, or ask why Phoebe had strange bruising on her face, and claw marks. Nope, he just nodded his head and continued on.

Phoebe's dad had always been an interesting character, he had hazel green eyes, like the eye color that matched Phoebe's left eye, and he always avoided conversations with his daughter. No, he insinuated conversations, but never answered any of Phoebe's. He liked to talk a lot and many of his fantastic stories, always silencing any of the girl's questions.

Phoebe since then avoided one of her main confidants like the plague, but she knew there would come a day when she would answer his questions.

For now, though, she kept her silence, and returned almost on a nightly basis to the island for training.

The island wasn't the only place she visited, though. Many times, she would go anywhere her friends went to, tagging along trying to understand them and their strange world.

It was in those times she came to learn their stories.

Elise was especially proud of the island which she called her real home, but she did speak about her grandfather, and not much else.

Well as luck would have it, on Phoebe's first real day at the island, Elise determined it a field trip day. Leading the heiress to take the winged girl to her house.

Zelda, Drew, Lauren, and Inigo stayed on the island since the last incident with whoever broke in, Zelda wanted to make sure there would be no attacks, and ever since Yen Sid and Mickey had not heard from Phoebe for so long, it was extra precaution in case they found out where she was hiding.

Tammy went home, though, apparently, she needed to return home to her brother and uncle. They didn't know anything about what happened at the Parks, despite her brother working there, and the strange events that happened daily. At least they lived near the theme park, allowing the new fledgling to be near the group as often as possible.

Oh, that was fun teaching Tammy how to properly hide her wings. Okay so it wasn't, but we're getting off track.

* * *

Preston B. Whitmore, was an old slender man with balding white hair and beard, the very founder and owner of Whitmore Industries, but most interesting of all, he was Elise's own grandfather.

Yes, no one knew about the two grandchildren he had running around his giant mansion in Washington D.C, even Milo Thatch, the grandson of one of his closest friends didn't even know.

But when Phoebe finally met the old man, she was pleasantly surprised to find he treated her exactly like he treated Milo.

Giving her a wild and long tale of how exactly his granddaughter came into his life.

And even more strangely, after Elise and Phoebe walked through her grandfathers' mansion, and rode an elevator down to some kind of library/study/aquarium, Elise pushed her out introduced Phoebe as her new friend and left.

All in ten seconds flat.

Phoebe awkwardly waved at the old man, who was currently dressed in a dark maroon robe, with fuzzy navy blue slippers, a wooden pipe in his mouth, with a captain's hat on.

The man tipped his hat to the girl.

"Hello, Miss. Palomera, no need for introduction here, my granddaughter has already given the liberty of telling me all about you. Now come on-" he gestured for her to come closer. "-Sit, shake out your wings- yes Elise told me about them. No need to worry about me, I've seen quite a few things in my life that you wouldn't believe."

Phoebe smirked, "Try me." The girl removed the long brown coat Elise had let her borrow before they left the island, and let her large dove-grey wings stretch out.

Underneath Whitmore's ascot, a blue light pulsated. The man smiled at this and pulled out a thin crystal, so Phoebe could see what was the source.

"Well, would ya look at that- this thing does react to you. Elise wanted to borrow it for some of her experiments, but I wanted to see this one for myself."

Phoebe frowned. "To see what?" The girl reached around to grab the dagger she had stashed inside of her boot. Lauren had given her a new dagger and a scabbard to match, and in return the skipper got the Death dagger, for experimentation or something- Inigo was helping in that process, something that Zelda wanted to try out.

"To see Magic itself- "Whitmore cocked his head as if in thought. "Actually _herself_. I never thought I'd see the day. But then again I'm, practically immortal with this old thing, but come on sit down."

The philanthropist sat in one of two large chairs positioned in front of the large aquarium, filled with large and exotic prehistoric-looking fish.

"My granddaughter instructed me to entertain you- so you want anything? I got wine, fine cigars- anything you want."

"I'm fifteen."

"Never too early to start." Whitmore quipped, putting in more tobacco into his pipe. "Alright, kid, well if I'm going to humor you, you might as well tell me what's up with you."

Phoebe hesitated, she had only known this man for a minute and already he was expecting a conversation! Even with all the attention she was receiving from being selected as the leader of the Council of Magic, Phoebe did not see herself important enough to be the center of attention. Like she was someone who is interesting- or an adult. What exactly did Elise tell her eccentric grandfather?

"Um… I'm Magic?"

"That's been established," Whitmore snapped.

"I have wings…"

"I can see that."

Phoebe felt herself start to shift uneasily in her seat. Usually when she met people that was the only thing they wanted to know; after that they'd leave and never give her a second glance.

Whitmore stared at her as if he was trying to figure out a complicated riddle.

"Um… I'm a demigod?"

Whitmore's face blanked.

"Okay- so not really, I was apparently a god once, but someone turned me mortal."

The old man shook his head in dismay. "Is that it? You only know what life has made you? Not what _you've_ made _out_ of life?"

When he received no answer, Whitmore leaned back into his chair and released a stream of smoke from his mouth. "Palomera we need to get you some hobbies…"

Phoebe felt a twinge of anger course through her. "Hey I got hobbies- I can't think of any right now considering how many adventures I've been-"

The old man sprang up from his chair in a flurry of excitement. "There we go- she does have personality."

Phoebe glared him down. "Fight me."

"Oh, Palomera, Elise told me about your 'magical skill.' Now c'mon, you're practically a cinnamon roll, you don't know anything about fighting hand to hand- hey you hungry?"

Mr. Whitmore turned to his left and grabbed an old phone, with a wire connecting the mouthpiece and ear piece together. He held up the microphone and ordered a hot plate of cinnamon rolls.

"Hey, you want anything?"

Phoebe shook her head more in confusion then an actual 'no.'

Whitmore shrugged. "Oh and some lemonade. No- I don't care if it's snowing outside, yes, yes, I know the boy's a menace- he's three. Let him play with the cat-" The man drifted off as he continued to speak to whoever was on the other line.

"Yes- yes I understand. I'm rather indisposed at the moment, I'm meeting with a new applicant, don't worry, I've already hired her… Yes, it's another she… No, I'm not hiring her because of my granddaughter. Ok… I'm hanging up now!" Whitmore exclaimed abruptly.

He gave Phoebe an embarrassed smile. "That would be my housekeeper and nanny… and secretary, she was also my nurse, but, eh, I don't need a nurse anymore. Not since ol' Mr. Milo- I believe you've met him?"

Phoebe nodded slowly, rather confused about the conversation the old man had with his 'housekeeper.'

"So this adventuring… How is it like? My granddaughter part of any of those?"

He chuckled to himself as Phoebe gave him a hesitant 'yes.'

"So how did y'all meet, then? Was it on one of these adventures? That girl disappears all the time- Ha! She reminds me of myself, when I was young with my best friend back during our college days, and adventures we've had… but she's got a certain flair about her that is very unlike me."

Phoebe laughed. "Yeah, you could say that. She kidnapped my sister with that pirate girl- Lauren Hancock."

Whitmore released a loud wheezy laugh at that. "Mh-mh-mm, I always knew Elise took after her grandmother- that woman was sharp. But let me tell you when I met her in Singapore in the brothels when I was starting out my business, with Milo's own grandfather I never met a prettier dame."

Phoebe's face scrunched in confusion. "What's a broth- "

But the old man ignored her. "When she showed up at my doorstep twenty years later with my son- well you could say things got complicated, but I never let go of my mistakes, and I had perhaps enticed her marriage when we were younger, but my business took me away. And when I saw her there on my doorstep, well, I was almost ready to offer her right away- but turns out she became a nun, and wanted me to get to know our son… and well she also wanted me to pay for his university up at Oxford, even though I wanted him to go to Georgetown, my alma mater, and that was how I met my granddaughter..."

"Her father…" Whitmore's face darkened as old memories streaked across his mind. "He was angry... as he should be for not having a father while growing up and when he arrived on my doorstep two years later with my own granddaughter, I was more than happy to give her a home."

"Elise… I named her, you know; her father didn't even give her a name. Shame it was for my mistake to pass on to my son, so there was only one thing I could do to break my family's curse. I adopted the girl and even went straight to the courthouse and gave her the surname Whitmore instead of her former name of Hua as a clear sign that she wouldn't be abandoned ever again."

"For the first years of her life, I gave her everything a lady of her status should get from private schools in France to an entire library for her to learn and study from. She liked all the strange collections I had, and she even was interested in business- probably from me I guess."

"But anyway, one day when she was twelve -I think, the strangest thing happened. I received a phone call from her Head Master saying that her mother had come to visit Elise. At first I was confused, her father never mentioned her mother, or that she even had one."

"And it got even weirder when the Head Master handed the phone over to her supposed mother. By her accent the women was British, and we striked a rather odd conversation."

"Athena?" Phoebe hesitantly asked.

"Aye, the goddess herself. I never believed in all that mumbo-jumbo about higher powers and what not, not even when my rival Helstrom almost brought about Ragnarok!"

"It wasn't until Elise met her mother that I realized it was Athena that I put two and two together, but during that conversation, she was rather insistent that I not ask who she was. Yet… she wanted to thank me for raising her daughter, and that she would keep a close eye on her. The strangest thing, at the time, though, was that she knew about my piece of Atlantean crystal that Milo gave me six years earlier, and she stated very specifically that that piece of Crystal was to be given to Elise on her eighteenth birthday as a sign that she would be my sole heir to the Whitmore fortune and estate."

"And who'd a thought that a year later, her father came home with a new wife and their three-month old son. In a word her mother knew exactly that Elise would receive some competition from her new half-brother."

"Yet like always her father got up and left, but this time taking his wife and leaving his children with me. After all these years to learn some responsibilities he still lacked all of them, but Elise didn't mind them leaving… The only thing she was angry about was her brother."

"She hated him, mostly because everyone thought he was adorable, and that he was a boy, and being a boy meant it was more than likely that he was going to get a bigger percent of the family inheritance, but I have kept my promise and fully intent to give Elise everything under my name- after all her step-mother was a rich heiress herself and she could certainly leave her son with that. But it drove Elise to try and prove her ability to run a company, and she went to get a job in a shop on Main Street USA. Now I won't say that this was a bad decision on her part, I was rather proud that she wanted to work hard, after all I did the same when I started out with nothing."

"Well it was on one of her shifts at a women's apparel department when I believe Elise officially snapped."

* * *

Elise was enjoying a rather nice boring day, watching all sorts of prim and proper ladies coming in and looking around at her wares. As she was the only person working there, while all the rest of the staff were doing inventory, Elise was managing everything from the cash register to helping her customers find exactly what they were looking for.

She was used to receiving customers from all walks of life from people of Disney to even Pixar. Business was open to everyone, but there were certain cases when this was not necessarily true. As one certain villain, would find out that day, but not for the reason you think.

Well it all started with a coat.

The coat in question was dark brown and rather on the pricey side, but Cruella de Vil had insisted on buying it.

Elise had given Cruella one look, and just seeing the stick-thin lady wearing a poofy brown coat with her half black-half white hair, just made my little dame cringe like she just witnessed someone stomp on puppies.

* * *

"Okay, so the simile was a little ironic," Whitmore admitted.

* * *

"I'll take it!" Cruella cackled.

"But Ma'am," Elise exclaimed, trying not to retch about the room. "The brown color clashes with your awful hair. Please stick to black and red, you'll look absolutely horrid in brown."

Cruella scoffed. "I am a wretched creature already and I don't need a little girl to inform me of such things, now give it to me!"

The black and white haired women gripped one side of the coat, and Elise the other leading into a very heated tug of war.

"No! This is a crime against fashion!" Elise screamed planting all her strength into her stance so she could hold her ground against the fully grown woman.

"You fool; don't you know who I am?!"

"Of course!" Elise suddenly shouted and pointed to somewhere behind her adversary.

"Is that a Dalmatian coat?!"

Cruella had lost all sense of thought and let go of the coat. "Where?!"

"Well, the next thing Elise knew she had run out of the store she worked for- stealing the very coat she refused to sell to Cruella de Vil." Whitmore finished.

"Since that day, Elise had done two things: resigned on the spot and became a thief. Yet the one repercussion was that Cruella had sworn vengeance on her and reported her to the Realm's authorities."

Phoebe's face fell into a goofy, but incredulous grin. "Nu-uh. Really? Dude, I exploded the Sorcerer's Hat, but stealing a coat, just to stop a 'crime against fashion?' That sounds like her. So wait," Phoebe paused trying to understand the whirlwind of facts that were just given to her. "How did she even meet up with the rest of the group? I know that she met Lauren first, but how? Background characters- and characters not mentioned aren't allowed into the Parks- how did she even jump worlds?"

Whitmore did not reply as a middle-age woman with her hair tied back in a tight bun, set down a plate of hot sticky cinnamon rolls.

"Ah, thanks Stella!"

"Don't thank me, Mr. Whitmore, I brought Luc so you can watch him. He tried to eat the cat..."

Said little boy was hugging Stella's leg, and looked like he had no intention of letting go.

"Come here, my boy, sit on your Po-pop's lap." Mr. Whitmore lifted the small boy and set him gently onto his right leg. "He'll be fine with me, thanks, Stella."

Stella rolled her eyes, but said nothing. She promptly left the room, leaving Whitmore to his own devices.

Mr. Whitmore bounced the boy of perhaps three years, on his lap. The small toddler curiously gazed at Phoebe, inspecting her large pearly wings with his brown almond shaped eyes, similar to his sister's.

"This here, is Lucius- Luc, for short. Now, Luc can you say hello to Phoebe?"

Luc ecstatically waved at the winged girl. _"Bonjour, mon ange."_

"What?"

Whitmore chuckled. "Little Luc here speaks French and English- he likes to follow Elise around the house and she figured speaking in French would make him ignore her, but it backfired on her because now he only speaks in French."

"Does he speak any English?"

"Little bit- understands it, but he drifts between French and English. Elise hates it, but it's her own fault. She should learn to try and like her brother, even if they do have different mothers."

"Oh," Phoebe breathed out. "You want them to get along so Elise doesn't make the same mistake as her father, don't you?"

Mr. Whitmore remained silent.

Phoebe cursed herself for being so frank to the kind old man and wished that she could take it back. "Look, Mr. Whitmore I didn't mean-"

"No," He cut her off. "I _am_ afraid that Elise will continue the family legacy of abandonment, but I think that in the past three years, that my little dame does care."

The old man stood, up, allowing his grandson to sit on his shoulders. "You see, Elise found others like her, youths who the world didn't want…" The millionaire walked to a shelf in his library and pushed a button hidden underneath a black leather bound volume revealing a hidden shelf that popped open.

"About five years ago, while Elise came home during the Christmas break from her private school, my brain trust filled with my top scientists and mechanics, invented a machine- using some Atlantean technology Milo gave me, combined with my crystal to power it. That day we discovered how to break through to other realms…" He flipped through the pages, and showed Phoebe numerous photographs.

One of all the men and women who were in the design, two of whom were identifiable as Audrey and the Mole. The next showed them working on a large machine, after that it was all of them standing back with goggles on as the machine was powered. The last picture he showed was of a little girl running through a glowing portal, while all the people in the background tried to stop her, but all in vain.

"And who do you think was the first to test it out?" Whitmore rhetorically asked. He flipped through more pages, but even from her vantage point, Phoebe could see a picture of the machine in flames, with Whitmore, himself, trying to tear open the machine, looking for his granddaughter.

"In short, the machine exploded. Our calculations were extremely wrong in how we assumed the crystal would work with electricity, and Elise was stuck travelling through the realms Milo had so wondrously described. We worked non-stop trying to fix the machine, calibrating it to the same coordinates we had set it at previously, hoping that maybe we could send someone to fetch her."

"Two weeks later, I came into contact with a strange man, a man with curious golden eyes and black and even _blonde_ hair, but he couldn't have been more than seventeen. I had heard much talk about him and his ingenious creations, but I heard a lot of bad reputation with some of his former employers, many of whom described him as a wizard. Still desperation drives many men to extreme lengths."

"Well in short, this man- boy, really, his name… It was a 'C' name, I believe, claimed he was not of this world- realm he put it, and promised me that I would get my granddaughter back… For a price… He wanted a piece of a star, there were five in total, but he wanted only one."

Phoebe looked at him strangely.

"Hey, I gave him the same look, but yeah, that's what he wanted, but before I accepted I decided to do my own research on what kind of item he wanted. I sent Audrey out to the club he frequented and asked her to see what exactly the kind of person we were dealing with."

"Well as luck would have it, Audrey met his girl, a tall, pretty blonde dame who's blind! Her boyfriend wasn't around at the time, he was in a meeting in the back, apparently. The girl said he was a treasure hunter of rare antiquities and magic. Audrey didn't buy it one second, she left and went to watch the meeting, and that's when she found out that he was hunting _people_. People who represented some kind of circle, like a fish and a broken heart, and other such nonsense."

"After that I broke all contact with the boy, and made sure him and his gang were kicked out of D.C. I hear they're in NYC, now, but a day later a boat crashed through my house, with my little dame steering."

"So, that's how Lauren and Elise met. I always figured that they met because of Zelda," Phoebe commented. She was not looking at the old man, instead her attention was fixed on the prehistoric fish that were eyeing her oddly. Wherever she moved, they would follow. It was starting to get creepy.

"Nope, Elise appeared in a boat with Lauren and..."

Whitmore drifted off, and set the small boy on his shoulders back onto the ground, watching with a smile in his eyes as the little boy put his hands on Phoebe's legs, trying to reach for one of her wings.

Phoebe gently tried to push the boy's hands away, but he persisted, and this time jumped onto her lap.

The winged girl didn't say anything, but her face was full of annoyance.

" _Mon ange."_

 _"_ Heh, he's calling you angel, my dear…" Whitmore explained.

"Oh…" Phoebe hesitantly unfolded one of her wings and let Luc touch it.

The boy grabbed one of the closest feathers and tugged the wing down to wrap it around himself; putting himself in a wing burrito.

Phoebe didn't know whether to be overcome with the amount of adorableness or wrap her arms around him to squeeze him in a warm hug, but instead she opted for ruffling his hair. "You're cute," she bluntly stated and handed him a cinnamon roll. "So, how did she meet the others?" Phoebe asked, not looking at the old man.

"Ah, but don't you want to hear _how_ Elise met Lauren?"

Phoebe frowned. "Okay, so that would be nice to know…"

"Well in this world, Elise might've been gone two weeks, but she was gone for two days in Lauren's world."

"What world, Mr. Whitmore? Treasure Planet?"

Whitmore shook his head. "No, turns out, the girl was a hopper- a term many people use to refer to those who hop realms, they found each other in Pirates of the Caribbean."

"Lauren, like many children in the world who are unwanted, was given one of the worst curses any child in her situation can be given." Mr. Whitmore moved to the fireplace and arranged the logs in order to start up a small fire. It was late January in this world, and snow was piling up. If there wasn't company over he would have ignored it, but even he knew that his body liked the heat. "She was allowed to be born."

"Artemis was a proud goddess, and having taken a great hunter as one of her companions, became one of her worst choices... Why? because they became romantically involved. Then one day he left and the great huntress, was left with child, but she realized it _too_ late."

Phoebe was distracted at this moment as Luc decided it had been time to drag the girl to the floor and had her spread her wings so that he could take in their full lengths. Okay so he didn't drag her, he got off her lap, and pulled her hand, and willingly Phoebe followed the toddler to the floor and laid down so he could see the wings more clearly and up-close.

"Hey, don't put your foot there- that's one of my primary feathers!"

"Sweetie, please don't give me that face-"

Eventually the little boy opted to sitting near one of her hips.

"Comfortable?"

The boy cheekily smiled and nodded.

If there was one weakness that she would ever admit to, it was how much of a pushover she could be with kids- especially cute ones like this one.

"-No one knows what happened to this man, but we can all imagine he was killed."

Phoebe turned to Mr. Whitmore and nodded. "So-" literally that was the only thing the girl had picked up, because of her rather adorable distraction. "Why didn't Artemis just undo the pregnancy? I would think gods could stop it."

"Well, that's what I thought, but Artemis is the protector of women during childbirth, and she could not go back on her oath to protect any daughter that was born, even if it was her own, but she made no such promises if it were male. Also demigods are special cases, _very special indeed_."

"Ah."

"So she waited and waited until the night came for her to deliver the demigod. Surrounded by her closest huntresses, Artemis gave birth, and it just so happened that she gave birth to a girl. Artemis cursed the child for being born a girl, instead of a boy, so she abandoned the child in the wilderness, since she could not kill her. She even sent a pack of wolves towards the child, a sort of loop hole, really, but they took one look at the child and felt the mark of Artemis upon her- both as her child and her mark of banishment."

"Somehow, someway, Lauren was bounced around from world to world, coming across dimension travelers. She was eventually put under the protection of the Enchantress- the Beauty and the Beast one, you've heard of her, right? As you know the Enchantress is a big proponent of justice- she has a court too, a cosmic court... But the Enchantress saw that Lauren was given a bad lot in life and seeing her kind nature for herself; she helped her live."

"The mark Artemis gave to Lauren left a literal target on her back, so the girl could not stay in one realm too long. Yet the Enchantress found a couple places where the child was safe: the sea and any island surrounded by water."

"For whatever reason, Artemis could not hurt her near water, some say the Enchantress convinced Poseidon to leave the child alone, but I think it was a completely different sea god- or rather goddess."

"Sea goddess? Amphitrite? She's Poseidon's wife, right?" If it wasn't noticeable now, Phoebe loved Greek Mythology, it was her first introduction into the joys of reading.

"No- a lady trapped in human bonds- Calypso."

Phoebe frowned. "She's still in human bonds now, there's no way she has control over the seas. Yen Sid said she was disgraced after being released, and that they put her right back in her prison. She ticked off all the sea and sky gods, and now she's waiting to regain godhood again- so it wasn't Calypso."

"Miss Palomera, look," the millionaire lifted his shoulder in a mock shrug. "I'm just going by this from my own assumptions, still, for whatever reason, water is friendly to Miss Hancock."

"Eh- figures, are you sure she isn't Poseidon's kid, then? Or a descendant? I mean c'mon, Zelda is the granddaughter of Athena and Apollo from two different sides of the family- what are the odds, Greek gods are literally so weird marrying their cousins and all that mess."

Whitmore didn't know whether to chuckle for how snarky the girl was or sigh in annoyance in how similar the girls were on account of sassiness. This one was smart, but so, so naïve about certain areas in life, he wasn't at all surprised how easy it was for her to befriend his granddaughter's group, maybe she would learn a thing or two about the street smarts she clearly lacked, combined with how she didn't seem to understand a few certain areas.

Well, she'd learn.

Yeah… Elise did.

Oh, just the memory of seeing Elise steering the ship as it crashed into his house, scaring the living daylights out of his then chef. The way Elise led the glowing Enchantress and the girl with dark short hair off of the ship, and introducing them to her grandfather.

Just the expression the girl had.

 _"Grandfather, this is my new friend. I will provide her with a new home and lots of food, and warm clothes. Also, she really likes to make things, and she's a natural with any weapon. She's had to learn since her mother doesn't want her, but I told her we want her to stay, so I have made the decision to adopt her."_

 _"Really?" Mr. Whitmore, having been without the company of any friends or family, knew that Elise was suffering from the same thing. And here his granddaughter was making an effort to fix it, why was it only children who tried to correct the mistakes of their elders?_

 _"Yes," Elise stated, with enough confidence to put even the most worrisome parent's heart to rest._

 _Mr. Whitmore smiled, and lightly raised Elise's chin, and then poked her nose, eliciting a slight giggle. "Alright, she can stay- we got a big house, we can easily fit twenty more."_

 _The old industrialist went down on one knee, and gave his granddaughter a look so serious, it was almost startling to realize that the girl was barely ten years old. "Y'know little dame, if you ever, and I mean ever, find another friend who is abandoned or nobody wants, bring them here. Don't let people suffer around you when you have so much to give."_

 _Elise nodded, like she understood the full meaning behind her grandfather's words, and the pang of sadness and regret behind it. "Thank you, grandfather. This is Lauren Hancock and her protector: the Enchantress."_

 _Whitmore rose to his feet, and extended his hand out first to the Enchantress, but when she didn't stick out her own hand to shake, the old man shrugged and moved on to the serious-faced girl._

 _Lauren Hancock, even at the age of ten, was a ghost of a shell compared to how she looked now. Her hair was just a bit longer to her shoulders, and her face was hollowed from lack of nourishment, and she had yet to develop into her womanly figure._

 _Yet it was her eyes that had never changed; her hazel eyes would continually change from a rich forest green to a warm dark honey depending on the lighting. The look was one that should never belong to a child, or even a full-grown adult. It was a haunting look, the eyes a lone wolf could be the closest to describe it. Because when one looked into the very eyes of the lonely wolf, one must understand there was a reason the wolf was kicked out of its pack, and the other, is now they had only themselves to depend on._

 _"Hey, honey," Mr. Whitmore went down on his knees so Lauren could be eye-level with him._

 _Lauren remained silent._

 _The millionaire scratched his beard. "Sweetie?"_

 _Like before the girl said nothing._

 _"Dear?"_

 _"Lauren?"_

 _Mr. Whitmore frowned. He needed to find something she could respond to._

 _The Enchantress lightly smiled, hearing the interchange between the two, so she knelt down and whispered a simple little word in his ear._

 _"Hun?" The industrialist repeated._

 _Lauren brightened at this endearment. "Yes?"_

 _Whitmore's eyes widened at this reaction. "So, hun it is. Well you can call me grandpa- you'll be the second. Now, hun, how about you go run off with Elise, I have much to talk about with your guardian."_

 _Lauren nodded enthusiastically, and gave the old man a strong bear hug before she ran off with her new friend._

 _"You've made quite the impression, Mr. Whitmore," the Enchantress coolly exclaimed as soon as they were alone._

 _"Bah, all I did was offer a girl hospitality; any old fool can do that."_

 _"Yet no one in all her life did."_

 _Whitmore remained silent, struck dumb by this news. "Since birth?"_

 _"Yes, and I can't be there for her anymore. I can only help people for ten years, before I have to leave. Lauren is turning ten in a week. It was no accident that she met Elise… Or that your machine broke…"_

 _Whitmore rounded on the tall thin, blonde. "You risked my granddaughter's life-"_

 _"I risked it so she could_ have _a life. Don't think for one second that I don't know what it is like to be alone. I lost everything when I became this- whatever I am." The Enchantress twirled her hand, reflecting on her glowing hands and the pink light emanating from her eyes._

 _The lady sighed. "I married into a family curse- a curse that was supposedly broken by my in-laws, but apparently, it came back and destroyed by husband's mind, and the only way I could save him was for me to use the powers he gave me to seal him away. Now I spend ten years acting as a magister to the cosmos for ten years straight, just so I can see him for one hour."_

 _Mr. Whitmore approached the lady and took a good long look into her glowing eyes._

 _"I will not ask, um... Who are you exactly?"_

 _"I am the Magister, the first and the last, and even now I sense that a great change is to come. Lauren Hancock will be my last case... But you must find other children like her... Something is transpiring, my husband stirs in his prison, Magic and Dreams are being reborn, and I will end my family's curse..."_

 _"But for now-" the Enchantress circled the old man, almost like a ghost in the way her body floated above the floor._

 _"We must make sure that these events will come to pass, and you my good man will take the charge. Your days will be numbered and the Circle shall be completed... In five years time, find the possessors of Magic and Dreams- especially the girl and train her. Many worlds have yet to be introduced with them, and the **prisoner of the Crystal will be released.** Speak to no one of this, but when my father-in-law collects your soul..."_

 _The Enchantress smiled at the old man, despite the shocked expression he wore._

 _"Tell him he's a good man... He deserves that much for raising such a good son."_

 _And without another word the Enchantress disappeared, leaving a single page that looked like it had been ripped out a book._

Mr. Whitmore kept it, but he hid it well, hoping she would come back to explain the symbols on the page, but he never saw her again.

But, oh he saw the signs of her presence, everywhere.

Like the day when Inigo came into his life.

* * *

"Now, Inigo- don't tell anyone this but I like that lad. He's a good kid, one of the kindest, the likes of which I have ever met... I remember when Elise and Lauren brought him in...The poor thin little boy with broken glasses and burn marks covering his legs. The girls found him while testing out the solar sails Lauren was given, and they nearly crashed into his own ship as he escaped his captors. "

"He was human- barely. They said he was from the world of Marvel- whatever that was. Kidnapped as a child by aliens, and was raised as an experiment by splicing human DNA with their very own."

"It was this reason why the boy did not appear human to us. No, rather, he could transfigure his appearance with all the different species of alien they had given him. There was never any wonder why after learning that that he was so interested in genomes and other areas of genetics, and in the end he was able to fix his messed up DNA, and wow, he did quite a number on himself, even tried to improve it. Wonky stuff science can do. I got him an apprenticeship with Dr. Jumba Jookiba to help him develop it, but he had to leave, because everyone started taking notice of who he associated with. "

"Also he can memorize things quickly and the amount of books he has read, was insurmountable, but that he could remember each of them was astounding. Being from Tomorrowland was an extraordinary asset- Anyway there was really no wonder why I made sure he had everything he wanted and more, the boy was a master of languages as well, serving as my ambassador with other realms, selling my products to other worlds, and having Lauren ship them."

"Ah, yes, that was how Lauren ended up on the Jungle Cruise. She was a natural double agent, learning the makings of a famous black market to boost her own, getting alien technology and resources to supply the society."

"That was how Lauren came into contact with Zelda and Tammy, two stowaways on her own ship. From there the group just collided. The world of adventure and tomorrow met the frontier."

"Tammy, though, is from the same world as you... A daughter of Athena like Elise, her half-sister, if I may point out."

"And mythology just got weirder..." Phoebe mumbled.

"Hey, half the Disney heroes are sons of Zeus- they don't have a club, hun, but a family reunion."

Phoebe was about to argue, but after a second thought she just went with it, because things were still making sense.

Sort of.

"She was born with the spark- as you know the special ability for children who can see everything hidden from a majority of humanity, ever noticed her eyes? Eyes are significant in these parts, some say a witch's magic is in her eyes."

"Tammy's father died two days before she was dropped off in a golden basket on her father's front door. Call it dumb luck, but her uncle was picking up his brother's stuff when he found the child... a day later. And her uncle, having been recently divorced was left with two children- a baby and his five year old son. Tammy might not have lived a life full of luxury, but she was raised right, she's a smart girl, and quite athletic, her brother took a job at Disney World to pay for all the sports she participates in, hoping that she'd get a full ride for college."

"And to think I was worried about Elise. Her naturally shy personality, I didn't think she could ever make a friend, much less a family... Yet it was because of her that I was able to be a part of one."

"Now you too."

Phoebe sat up from her position on the floor. "Yeah... Me. Isn't it great?" She sarcastically quipped.

"Y'know kid..." The man scratched his beard, uncertainly. "There is something... A message you could say I need to-"

"Phoebe!" Lauren, Drew, Zelda, and Elise's voices rang together as they stepped out of the elevator, cutting off whatever Mr. Whitmore was going to say.

The winged girl turned around and was unexpectedly in a tight bear hug from Lauren. "Ow... Air... Ribcage..."

"Oops." Lauren let go of Phoebe.

Phoebe awkwardly stepped back. "It's fine. Hey- why do you have an eye patch?"

Lauren frowned, and almost on instinct, the girl fixed her thick jacket, positioning it to cover her exposed skin thanks to her loose blouse. "Armory accident- it'll be fine in a week or two."

"Ah," Phoebe accepted her answer. "Hey, wait- where's Inigo?"

Zelda and Lauren shared a look, before the cowgirl spoke.

"Oh, he's busy with something with the computers- some sort of virus. Don't worry it happens every two weeks."

"Ugh, Luc, what is he doing here?" Elise commented, ignoring the little boy's hands as they motioned for her to pick him up.

Mr. Whitmore chuckled dryly, "Why, Elise, complaining without even saying hello to me."

Elise rolled her eyes, giving a rather impressive display of her French roots. "Fine, hello grandfather," the thin girl awkwardly hugged the old millionaire, even going as far to pat his back lightly, before she removed herself.

"Hey Fifi," Phoebe's sister called, from behind the group. "Guess what they made you while you were being babysat?"

Phoebe gave her a deadpan look as she made her way toward her. "I was not, I was getting a history le-"

"Whatever- Look!"

Hidden behind her back, Drew withdrew a long package. "I already opened it, and I approve," the girl explained as she handed it to her sister. "Zelda says we're gonna get mine once we have some free time."

Phoebe lightly opened one side of the package by tearing away the Christmas wrapping someone had crudely wrapped, and revealed a-

"It's a sword?"

"Short sword," Lauren corrected. "You're kind of short- what 4'11"-"

"And a half," Phoebe reminded. "I've grown."

"Whatever, so we're gonna have you on the field with us, we decided you needed something, and since I'm damn good, I'll teach you everything I know."

"I have magic-" Phoebe argued, only for Elise to cut her off

"Yes, because you're so good at that."

Phoebe shot her a look.

"Oh, yes, please kill me with your stare for decorating your new room."

"My...?"

"Do you really think I sent you to a crazy coot of a grandfather only to get rid of those pesky introductions? Please, you're very nosy, we had to distract you, and Lauren had to forge a sword- thank goodness time here is short compared to the island."

"And we're going to need you here more often," Zelda added. "We have a slight problem..."

"What?"

"Oh, yeah," Drew spoke up. "I told them about Pinocchio, and they agree he's a nutter- Inigo's dubbed him 'Timmy the Talking Trashcan.' But right now we have three Jack Sparrow's running around the Magic Kingdom. Sorry, Captain should be in there somewhere."

Phoebe's eyes widened in shock, but then realization. "Wait... The three animatronics in the Pirates ride... Oh bugger..."

"Yeah, and that's not even counting the kamikazi goats from Big Thunder Mountain."

"Well isn't Mickey doing anything? The magicians? The Toon police?"

Zelda snorted. "No, apparently they're waiting for you to take care of it."

"Why?"

"Don't you know, Phoebe?" Lauren exclaimed, smoothly, like this was a question she had been waiting to answer.

"They're trying to draw you out."

* * *

 **A/N: I have always liked the concept that curses- which is a central theme of the series that will keep repeating in almost every character- is how it can be cast by a magical being be it god or fairy which can correlate to a mistake that every generation keeps repeating. It's similar to the poverty cycle in this regard where it always takes a special person in the family to rise above their financial restraints that their family could never break before them.**

 **Here I created a set of unlikely heroes, with inspiration from people who I have grown up with, who want to change the world. They understand that the world has left them bloody and broken from abusive relationships friends/family, social anxiety, living with physical/mental disabilities and other fears that we don't even think that people have. Yet what sets them apart is that they don't complain about it. Instead they work harder, and lift their heads up just a bit higher to beat the stereotype, no matter how many times we try to ignore our own feelings in the process.**

 **Oh and for those who want an evil Hades... Wait.** **In this story he was written to be a supporting character, but the next book in the series we'll see what he's been planning, and Maleficent, and literally so many other villains.**

 **In the words of the short Fate: "It's gonna be big."**

 **Disclaimer: The new cover image was taken by me, therefore it belongs to me.**


	20. Storming the Castle

**Storming the Castle**

* * *

 _"You poured the gasoline and_

 _I drove into the flames_

 _History will hate us_

 _But they'll never forget our names..." - All Dressed Up For A Hit and Run_

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I haven't been inspired as of late, thank the above song;)**

* * *

Phoebe stared down her geometry homework, trying to figure out a way for her to magically finish the tedious problems. She had figured going to Tom Sawyer's Island would let her concentrate more since her mother wouldn't be there to ask how she was doing.

Which would have of course lead to her spilling about exactly what she's been up to. God, it hurt keeping a secret from her mom, her main confidant, sure the woman was a bit nosy, but that was her mother- heck that was her job.

But if she heard even ten percent of what Phoebe had experienced in the past, what four months now? She would freak.

Maybe that was why Phoebe gravitated more to her new group of friends, they at least could talk about whatever was happening in the 'Happiest Place on Earth."

Oh dear Lord, once Yen Sid and Mickey found her, yeesh, they would be so mad when they met her new friends- and who was behind the sudden animatronic attacks. The winged girl had yet to decide which situation would make them even more ticked off.

Phoebe let out a frustrated sigh and put down her math text book and switched for the volume underneath it.

Merlin's spell book that he had lended her before she went to the world of Pinocchio, was one of the only releases that Phoebe could find. The small leather-bound book, with its strange runes covering the border of each page, would always glow blue when her fingers slid across them.

It was comforting reading a book that helped teach Phoebe some way to hone her magic, and all those practices with Yen Sid seemed like a distant memory with the crowd she was now hanging out with.

The old sorcerer would have huffed at them, disgusted by their tactics of do something now instead of waiting for diplomacy to do something. A tactic Phoebe was starting to loathe, but still she missed her old master.

Sure, he was a harsh critic, but he just wanted the best for her, even if he wasn't willing to teach her too much about her gift. Yes, it was like he was afraid of her growing power, and something else that he never voiced. But still here she was with the people he had considered to be rebels and enemies to the Kingdom.

Call her crazy, but the band of misfits that lived on the island doing- well, she didn't quite know, but they did seem to know a lot about the realms and the goings-on of the parks. They were adventurers at heart, at least that's what Mr. Whitmore had confirmed, but the winged girl had a sneaking suspicion that all his little expeditions to find new realms in Disney were all undertaken by them.

And that time-travelling Jungle Cruise boat- quite suspicious indeed. Had it been only yesterday since meeting Mr. Whitmore?

But what about the other things going on right now?

Pinocchio still had the Fantasyland key. Three Captain Jack Sparrows were running amuck- not even counting the real one. And the next Council meeting was scheduled three days from now. If she skipped, Yen Sid and Mickey would know something was up, and would send some heroes after her.

Fingering the small volume, Phoebe flipped to the back of the book and found the section she had recently been reading. The last three pages of the book were filled with tiny neat cursive, probably Merlin's handwriting, but she wasn't sure, all of it was an interesting find- one Drew found when she 'accidentally' ripped the back of the cover off. After that the two sisters discovered new pages hidden inside of the book.

The three pages were not exactly spells, but like an invention fueled by some kind of magical source judging by all the little spells it required to turn it on. The invention had no actual shape, but according to the combination of what kinds of spells required it looked like an imprisoning spell.

But that didn't explain the alchemy symbols for immortality, preservation, and something that was scratched out- a star? No, it looked more like a key.

Phoebe muttered the spell underneath her breath, ignoring the crackle of electricity that seemed to cause her hair to float, and the way the blood in her veins started to glow as the magic concentrated in her hands. Small objects from her hairbrush to the papers scattered on her desk to even the large furniture pieces started to levitate. The winged girl could even feel her wings ruffle as her blood circulated into them, causing a calming sensation to flow into her as magic took control.

It was always at these moments where Phoebe felt her control of the former host of Magic, Vanessa, spiral downwards- resulting in the spell becoming unfinished, and in this moment, everything came crashing down.

Phoebe felt the bed underneath her crash down to the floor along with her vanity mirror to crash, the little glass shards shattering upon impact of the ground and littering the wooden floorboards.

Before the winged girl could even think about what had happened- Lauren came crashing through the door, Tammy in tow with what looked like a giant bazooka.

Lauren's one eye barely flicked across the small room before she realized what was going on. Almost in the same moment she had to stop Tammy from barreling into the room with the owl-winged girl's finger still on the trigger.

"Tam, put down the bazooka, Phoebe's just breaking things."

Tammy snorted, rolling her honey brown eyes. "Well gee, first you don't like the taser, now you don't like the bazooka."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Tam, you just can't run into someone's room with a bazooka- do you know how powerful they are?"

"Yes, which is exactly why I ran with it- gosh I feel insulted that you think that I'm not thinking. Look at that child, she don't know how to magic anything, but she practicing it, so let me practice and I'll let her practice."

Lauren took a deep breath before she turned with Phoebe. "So, you okay?"

Phoebe looked sideways, before considering her question. "...Yes..."

"Good, grab that sword and your spell book. It's time to take you to the gym."

"But I'm practicing magic in here just fine!" The girl hurriedly tried to fix the mess of all the papers scattered across her turquoise quilt.

Lauren and Tammy both glanced at each other and snorted.

The sunburned girl lightly teased Phoebe, "You're funny."

The skipper brushed a few strands of her hair off of her forehead, scanning the room. "C'mon, we already replaced that mirror twice, and I think you've had enough cleaning up the shards."

Phoebe was about to argue, but she released the breath that she had been holding back for a nasty remark. "Good point..."

* * *

Lauren inspected Phoebe from head to toe.

Even though Phoebe had grown significantly since that night at the Sorcerer's Hat incident in Hollywood Studios, the girl was still short, and it looked like she wasn't built for combat.

At least she wasn't thin, Lauren noted. The girl had well-muscled legs, probably from all the running she was getting used to, but all that running was building her up for exactly that- running, not actual combat. Her shoulders and arms were on the thin side, unlike Lauren's stocky broad shoulders.

Speed is her thing, Lauren guessed, but after all the fights the skipper had survived through, one could not run away from all of them, and it was exactly this reason that the girl deemed it perfect for Phoebe to learn some combat.

"Okay, hun- Hun!"

Phoebe jerked her attention away from her surroundings. Ever since Lauren had shown her the way into the arena- a pocket dimension Zelda and Inigo had discovered a long time ago, and used it as a way for the group to use as their own personal practice ring.

One wall was literally dedicated to the mass weaponry the group had amassed throughout the years, be it swords, bows and arrows, to hand grenades; another wall was that of a mini office, but it's lights were turned off and the girl couldn't see exactly what was inside.

"Sorry! I'm trying to wrap my head around it still..." Phoebe apologized quickly, her feet lightly kicked the mats underneath her to try and make her concentrate.

"Yeah, I hear ya, don't worry, hun, you'll get used to it. Now let's get started-"

"Hey, where'd Tammy go?"

"Oh, she went with Elise and Zelda's group to try to round up the animatronic goats before they scare too many of the guests."

"Shouldn't we help them?" Phoebe suggested.

Lauren rolled her eyes. "And let you get caught in a trap? Nope! Remember they're trying to draw you out."

"Look they're just worried that I've been missing for so long. I'm Magic- and who knows what if it's a real threat?"

Lauren sighed. "Yeah, you're Magic, but that makes you inherently neutral- if you keep working for the side of good, you're going to have to help the villains eventually for the sake of balance! And here you're safe- no one knows you're here and Pinocchio has no clue you've allied yourself with us, take the element of surprise when you can, lesson one!"

Phoebe huffed. "Hey, look I'm not into the whole 'helping people out' bit but I can't let you take care of my problems- they're mine! Plus, I'm going to have to meet up with my old master eventually, and trust me when I say that they get worried easily. They're the ones who want Pinocchio stopped, you guys are into this quest cuz of me!"

"Friendship is Magic! By completing this quest it will be our formal apology for everything we've made you and your sister go through- after that we're back to our marauding ways, and who knows maybe you'll leave the House of Mouse and join us to find more Disney Realms, and maybe find your purpose."

Phoebe felt a shiver spread its way down her spine at the word 'purpose,' a word Yen Sid had thrown around quite often. As Magic, Yen Sid explained, Phoebe was bound to help those find their destinies by any means necessary- whatever that meant. To the winged girl, it just meant teach people how to use magic.

"Yeah, I know about that too-" Lauren emphasized. "You should really read that book we made you sign, it has a sister you know, some say it's the Book of Villains, and if brought together a prophecy of the future of Disney would be revealed, your purpose, hun. Although we can't get there if you can't control that power you got."

"But," Lauren continued. "Zelda and I both agreed while you were at Grandpa Whitmore's house, that you need to learn how to fight. So here we are," Lauren spread her arms wide, motioning to the gym.

"Now, you like magic, so attack me."

Phoebe stared at her incredulously, "Um, is that smart?"

"Not at all, but I want to see what you got, and if its weak, we're picking up that sword and gonna do things right."

Phoebe set her jaw at the threat, but said nothing.

So raising her hands the winged girl put herself in a stance she had always known Yen Sid to use, with her knees apart and her hands centered in front of her stomach. Summoning the magic to her hands, Phoebe felt the familiar streams of magic activate in her blood stream and collected into a mass of blue light between her hands, and released it at the girl.

The blue light surrounded Lauren, illuminating the one eye not covered by an eye patch, and turning her clothes and skin blue.

Lauren was barely even fazed as the light returned to normal, despite Phoebe's heavy breathing signaling how much energy the girl had put behind the blast.

All Lauren did was dust herself off and cross her arms in disappointment, "Have you ever heard of aggression?"

"Does passive aggression count?" Phoebe sarcastically commented, but her attention was directed at what was behind Lauren.

Lauren didn't even turn to investigate why Phoebe was staring at her oddly."Pick up the damn sword," she ordered with as much ferocity to snap her apprentice into action.

"But- but you have wings!" Phoebe screamed, the girl's eyes were wide in astonishment at the pair of bat wings latched onto the skipper's back.

"I said pick up the damn sword!" Lauren ordered, still unfazed at her newly attached wings, or why the back of her blouse was in shreds.

"Man nothing fazes you, huh?"

"Nothing," Lauren agreed.

"Are you going to change at least?" Phoebe asked.

"You gonna pick up the sword?"

Phoebe blanched and picked up the blade, gripping the sword tightly in her left hand, "Yes ma'am."

Lauren rolled her eyes at Phoebe's reaction. "Let's begin then," the skipper unsheathed her own and practically leaped at the winged girl.

For Lauren, it seemed that the proper way to learn how to fight was by actually starting to spar instantly.

Phoebe having only picked up toy swords throughout her youth was unprepared for the hard blows that Lauren would land her, making her drop her blade nearly every time Phoebe tried to block her attacks.

Yet even though it was apparent that Lauren was going easy on her, to Phoebe, she was having trouble keeping up with her teacher's movements. Though broad in stature, Lauren moved with grace that Phoebe never would have imagined from her, and even when she was concentrating on the duel between them, the skipper would always make comments about Phoebe's stance and her footwork that she needed to improve on and even went as far as to demonstrate slowly how it should be properly executed.

After Phoebe managed to survive longer than fifteen seconds in one spar, Lauren called for a break.

Taking her to a bench with a large water jug, Lauren filled up a cup of ice cold water and handed it to Phoebe.

"Here, drink up, you lost a lot of water back there."

Too tired to come up with a witty remark, Phoebe took the cup and drained it quickly, not caring that a stream of water escaped and slid across her cheek. Taking a deep breath, the winged girl looked over in the direction of Lauren.

It seemed that after an hour of sparring, Lauren didn't even acknowledge the existence of her wings. They were quite large, maybe larger than Phoebe's, but smaller than Tammy's. They were covered in dark brown velvety fur, that opened up to the leathery parts of her wings.

Were all her friends going to have different species of wings? That would certainly make a problem for blood transfusions, the medical side of Phoebe's mind reasoned.

"You're doing well, hun. I was a bit surprised for your first day," Lauren suddenly spoke. "Your footwork is actually better than I expected, your definitely more aggressive in sword fighting than magic, but that's an obvious because you want to stay alive and don't want a fricking sword through your spleen."

Phoebe nodded, her chest was still heaving, trying to allow her tired lungs to breathe in. The winged girl then proceeded to pour herself another glass of water, and drained that too.

"So is that it for practice, then?"

Lauren snorted. "Nope. But we can take a small break- cuz I gotta get changed…" The skipper looked at Phoebe's long sleeved-shirt and thick jeans. "And you need to find something else to wear."

"What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Have you ever wondered why sorcerers wear all those weird clothes? They noticed that magic flows better through better with long flowing clothes."

"What do you know of magic?"

"My godmother- the Enchantress, she kind of raised me, she told me a bunch of stories of all the invisible wizards and sorcerers she met."

"That can explain why Yen Sid always made me wear those awful thick robes," Phoebe mused.

Lauren smirked. "I could make you a proper sorceress' clothing you know. Something a little modern, if you want."

"You fight, garden, blacksmith, and make clothes- is there nothing you can't do?"

Lauren shook her head. "I can design it- Elise will order it, none of us can make clothes, only Zelda and Tam know how to sew but that's it."

"Oh… Well if you do; make it blue, and something I can run around with."

"Oh yeah definitely- we'll make it ready for battles and everything…"

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Just one problem, I'm not a fighting person."

"Don't worry, a couple more days in the gym, and you'll be ready for the field, we just want to make sure you can hold your own- physically and magically."

Phoebe nodded, "Okay…" The winged girl stood up and stretched her body, preparing herself for Lauren's next set of attacks.

Lauren handed her her short sword and stood back to look at Phoebe. "Hmm…"

"I feel like your technique is good, but you sometimes don't react quick enough to my attacks… I got it!" Lauren ran to a door Phoebe had not noticed before.

Taking out a set of keys, Lauren unlocked the door and emerged a few minutes later with a shield.

The shield was quite simple, rounded on the edges, but with a point at the bottom, and three smaller points at the top of the shield, giving it an archaic look. There was no insignia on the front, it was just a simple metal that had a few dents in the center of the shield, but at least it was shined, Phoebe noted.

"Now your technique is going to have to change with the addition of the shield, but while you're a beginner, you'll slowly get faster. But don't worry-"

"Guys drop whatever you're doing!"

Zelda burst into the room with Inigo, Tammy, Elise, and Drew behind them.

"TO THE BUTT-MOBILE, LADIES!" exclaimed Drew.

Inigo looked to the ground in sadness. "Um… what about me?"

"Aw yeah…." Drew leaned over to Elise and loudly whispered. "What's his name again?"

Elise came up behind Inigo with a hand over her mouth. "Hark? Was that a burn? Doth my deaf ears deceive me?" She then mouthed an exaggerated "thank you" at Drew.

"That wasn't a burn, Elise," Tammy snorted, the source of her laugh was directed more at the flapper's antics.

"I'll take what I can get."

Lauren shot a look at Elise and immediately she was silenced.

Zelda rolled her eyes but didn't say anything at the little quarrel between the two. "Guys, we're going to space!"

Everyone started immediately celebrating by releasing whoops of joy, but Phoebe just stood there.

"Why?"

"Because, silly, we always need an excuse to have fun."

Phoebe was about to argue before Tammy and Elise abruptly came up behind her. "You'll get to see what we do for a living," the flapper spoke quickly.

"Fine… So which space world are we going?"

"Aw, guys, we need to tell her how we're going to get this first."

"How so?" Phoebe timidly asked, looking at her superior.

"You've been to the Disney Vault, right?"

* * *

"Lower the rope some more, Lauren," Zelda whispered.

"I can't believe I'm doing this."

"Phoebe, calm down." Lauren's motherly voice whispered to her, from her earpiece.

"I'm incredibly calm," the girl shot back into her mouthpiece. "I just never imagined myself in this particular situation before."

"Fifi!" Drew yelled into her eardrum, by stealing Lauren's microphone.

"What? There's literally a giant hole over there!" Phoebe explained.

Lauren, Zelda, Drew, and Tammy's eyes shifted to the left at the gaping hole in the wall left by the alien creature after the Crystal was stolen by Pinocchio.

"Oh."

"Guys, literally I was here three weeks ago," Phoebe gestured to the secret room that hid Mickey and the kingdom's greatest secrets. And still after all those weeks all they had done for boarding up the walls was putting yellow police tape.

Mickey was certainly being uncharacteristically lazy. The thought made Phoebe wonder exactly what the mouse was up to. In fact, where was the security?

"I would have told you if you didn't throw me into a ninja suit." The winged girl felt the rope around her waist, tighten, and immediately she was no longer inching toward the ground.

Zelda who was on a rope beside her, maybe a foot higher, was the one who signaled the halt.

"Hush, guards," her blue eyes became distant. "Fifteen meters, on the other side. Two, maybe three," Zelda alleged.

"I thought you said you couldn't predict the future," Phoebe grunted. The girl tried to twist around and disconnect the rope she was straddled on.

"Lauren told me that. Wait, what are you doing?" Zelda asked, suddenly aware the Phoebe was trying to do. "There could be those fancy little lasers that have a silent alarm."

Phoebe snorted, as she landed on the ground. "Doubt it, Donald is a terrible cheapskate, worse than Yen Sid."

"Wait, Phoebe, wait up!" Zelda disconnected herself and sneakily made her way toward her friend.

Lauren peaked her head through the large hole she had made with one of the infinity spots she had snagged from Toon Town, and seeing that Phoebe and Zelda were nowhere in sight, the skipper pressed the mouthpiece of her head phones closer

"Zelda, hurry it up. Tammy just saw the shifts change for the guards. Also, watch your two o'clock, Phoebe's about to collide with someone."

"Roger- "Zelda rushed, and grabbed Phoebe's shoulder, ducking her behind a column.

Phoebe struggled for a little bit, having been caught off guard by Zelda, but complied as soon as she felt the gentle squeeze on her shoulder.

Now sitting huddled together, Phoebe and Zelda watched in awe at the tall silhouette of a shadow raked across their face, and suddenly gone.

"That's one."

"But who's left?"

Zelda shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't matter, just take it and leave. I'll distract, you run- take one of the holes. You know the place, right? Well prove it."

Phoebe felt the holes pass into her hands and nodded. There was no time for arguing, she needed to grab what the group needed before anyone noticed.

* * *

While Zelda started creating a distraction, which consisted of hitting the walls as she ran around the maze, using Lauren as her eyes, to further divert the attention of the two guards.

Lauren as you know having attained bat wings that very morning, was using her newly acquired gift of echolocation. The only bad part about that was she had to release a high-pitched squal, that sounded like a Chihuahua bark mixed with a hint of a whistle, both terrifying and startling in both rights.

Because of that Tammy was running across the towers, using both her athletic ability and her owl wings to set up fireworks across the castle, distracting the guards and confusing the Cast members for the unscheduled show.

Drew was the one who would push each button for each firework, timing it every time Lauren released her scream.

But they knew this plan could only work for five minutes before someone would discover them. So far it was three minutes, forty-five seconds in.

Zelda was doing her job perfectly, but soon enough there would be more guards, and the ones she was currently harassing had already called for backup.

"Guys, I can't see, Phoebe," Lauren called over the mic. "I see only three people now, two guards and Zelda."

"Get on her channel then," Zelda yelled into her own mic.

"Can't her signal's dead."

"Guys…" Tammy's voice interrupted both of them. "The castle's going on lockdown."

* * *

"It's the ghost, I'm sure of it this time!" Mickey shouted at his best friend, as they speedily made their way to the secret room.

On their way there, Mickey was using his magic to turn on every defense mechanism the castle had. From the iron shields that blocked the windows to the hallways that were filled with the paintings started becoming closed off.

It was the portraits hallway that lead to the Disney Vault, but the two had to make sure no one else could enter.

"Hey, I got the silent alarms for you," Donald spat back at his pal.

"I still paid for it!" Mickey argued, dimming the lights with the wave of his hands.

"Oh, what's that supposed to mean?!" Donald snapped, pulling the iron gates over each of the portraits, preventing any character from leaving their worlds, or escaping.

"Didn't you get Daisy fake pearls for your anniversary?"

"She didn't have to know, Mick! And it's not like we're married."

"Gah! Donald, she's waited sixty years."

"And I'll wait another sixty if she keeps trying to make me go to anger management classes!"

"Ugh, you're impossible!"

"Says the guy who keeps seeing ghosts!"

"They're real, Donald! You have to trust me."

"Oh, like how Walt trusted you with Oswald?!"

Mickey immediately halted, swiftly turning around just so the duck could see his darkened glare.

"I didn't know what would happen," was all the mouse said, slamming Quasimodo's painting. But it was enough to shut the duck's mouth, yet only because of the sadness and self-loathing that could be heard in that one line.

And it was enough that Donald patted his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mick... C'mon, we've got an intruder!"

"Hey, guys! Whaaaa-" Goofy literally came slipping on the polished marble of the hallway, colliding with a column that lined the hallway every ten feet.

"Goofy, you all right, pal?" Mickey ran up to his friend, and pulled his flattened body off of the column.

"Sure am! But there are reports of someone flying 'round the castle, it's been reported by three guards including Aladdin."

"Is it Phoebe?" Mickey curiously asked, trying to remember when was the last time he saw her.

"Nope, different outline all of 'em said."

"Different outline? Like dragon?" Mickey breathed out, thinking of Maleficent.

"Now, now Mickey, one would hold thy tongue when in my presence."

The trio of friends jumped in unison, even turning their heads together, to meet the cold gaze of the green-skinned Fae.

Maleficent cocked her eyebrow in faint amusement. "Why, hello, gentlemen... and Duck," the fae felt a grin cross her face as Donald realized she was signaling him out.

"Why I ought'a ..." Donald was revving up his arm as if he was going to take on Maleficent in a fist fight, but both Mickey and Goofy held him back, catching him just seconds before he jumped on her.

"Donald, don't tick her off, we already have enough problems," Mickey whispered to the duck.

"One of these days, Mickey, I'm gonna fight her," Donald seethed, the venom in his voice, made his voice even more incomprehensible.

"Pick the fights you can win, Donald," Maleficent cooed. "One wouldn't want to start an unnecessary war..."

The duck calmed down, and Mickey and Goofy let go of Donald now, seeing that he wasn't going to attack.

"What brings you here, Maleficent?" Mickey coolly asked, trying to change the awkward mood.

"I was summoned, my good King. Why else would I come on a night when the castle is under lockdown?"

"Was she summoned?" Goofy, leaned down and whispered his question into Mickey's ear.

"For our sake, I really hope so," Mickey quietly said back. Then moving away from his two friends, the mouse gave a respectful bow to the Mistress of all Evil.

"Maleficent, thank you for receiving our summons," Mickey lightly lied. He didn't want to risk making her angry, so he decided lying wouldn't be so bad for this one instance. She had been behaving these past few months, not counting Phoebe's ascension as Magic, but still, her recent actions did prove that she wanted some kind of alliance with the powers of good. Even if she still wanted to challenge Phoebe for her leadership position on the council, it seemed she wanted a clean transition if that happened. After all it did not do to dismiss a lady who wasn't invited, we all remembered her cast curse with Princess Aurora

Maleficent let a fake grin spread across her face. All it took was show up announced and fake an invite and suddenly everyone wanted to treat her kindly. Being bad did have its advantages. "Of course," she exclaimed with false sincerity. "Minnie was quite insistent that I assist you in your little break-in. The Queen believed that it was best that a villain could be the best person to deal with the little hero breaking in."

Mickey stared at her skeptically. "A hero would never break into my castle. They're good guys, and good guys don't do things like that."

"Oh, really? Have you not heard the rumors that Phoebe has fallen?"

Mickey couldn't help it, but his mouth dropped in shock, but it was his shaky speech that gave away one of his suspicions. "N-no she w-wouldn't do that, she's not even a hero, she's supposed to be neutral. That's her job description."

"You know speaking of that little girl," Maleficent circled the mouse. "Where has she been hiding? Has she solved the case, yet? I'm sure the Council would love to see the progress she's made on the case- if she hasn't already solved it," Maleficent added.

"Uh-huh- yeah... Course," Mickey slowly breathed out.

"Wonderful, I can't wait to see her at the Valentine's Day meeting- what? Three days from now?" Maleficent started walking away. "I do hope you find her before the meeting starts- you know how my fellow members find great distaste in tardiness."

The dark fae curiously turned her head to see how Mickey and his pals were reacting to her news. "Oh, I deeply apologize if I have caused you concern. Please, allow me to take care of your little burglar, to show you my good faith towards you, and not my ill will. I would hate to show up only to do nothing."

"What, no-" the voices of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, rang together, but Maleficent had disappeared in a blaze of green fire.

"Uh-oh..." Donald spoke, reminding everyone that something needed to happen now!

Mickey sprang into action, and started to run. Goofy and Donald started to rapidly chase after him, to hear what he was yelling about.

"DOUBLE TIME! GOOFY, GET EVERYONE TO THE VAULT BEFORE MALEFICENT! THE SORCERER'S HAT IS IN THERE! DONALD, WE NEED PIXIE DUST BECAUSE WE NEED TO FLY IF THE INTRUDER CAME FLYING, WE CAN CATCH UP TO THEM IF THEY ESCAPED MALEFICENT- NOW LET'S GO PEOPLE!"

Receiving their orders, the duck and the goof sprang into action, screaming and yelling into their walkie talkies, to anyone and everyone.

Because one of the most powerful objects was at stake.

For once more, the Sorcerer's Hat was being threatened.

* * *

Having been separated from Zelda for twenty seconds now, Phoebe stealthily made her way to the heart of the Vault. Here in the darkened labyrinth-like vault, the winged girl tried her best to remember where the Sorcerer's Hat was kept.

Usually, it was in the possession of Yen Sid or Mickey, but, as of late, both of them had decided to keep the hat under wraps in the vault. Though it seemed like a dumb idea to Phoebe, maybe they had tightened security around here. The items scattered about the Vault were hidden in plain sight, the positions of which Phoebe was trying to understand, but the magic inside of them called to her, telling her exactly where they were hiding, but the Sorcerer's Hat had the strongest pull on her.

Phoebe could feel her heart pounding faster as she approached the hat, the magic in her veins was making her excited, even Vanessa who had remained silent for quite some time, seemed to be waking up because of the hat.

 _"Those friends of yours have such good taste, maybe you should have met them earlier_ ," the spirit whispered inside her mind.

"Oh shush," Phoebe shot at her. "I don't want to hear it."

 _"Don't want to hear it?"_ Vanessa echoed. _"Well... Such a rude little girl you're turning into. Makes me want to show you how it feels..."_

Phoebe felt her headphones release a loud screech, so loud, that she screamed in response, tearing them off her head. "Nessa, what the heck?"

The girl cursed, putting on her headphones, "Lauren? Zelda?" Only to find the other end dead.

"Great, thanks," Phoebe sarcastically quipped at the spirit.

 _"Any time,"_ Vanessa coyly exclaimed, releasing a string of malicious laughter that seemed to echo around her mind.

Still cursing under her breath, Phoebe decided, it was time to run for it. Grab the hat and go. If she couldn't communicate with the girls, then it wouldn't work the other way around.

Wait, maybe with the use of the hat, Phoebe could teleport to them! Yes, of course the hat helped control Yen Sid and Mickey's powers, so why couldn't she?

Stopping at the hallway that led to the hat, Phoebe stopped when she heard a guard coming behind her. The winged girl tried to locate a place to hide, but she realized it how bare the hallway is.

Before Phoebe could think of what to do, the winged girl could already see who exactly the guard was.

"Aladdin..." she thought. Phoebe's eyes widened when she realized not only did she say that aloud, but it had caught the attention of the former street rat.

"Phoebe! What are-" Aladdin, narrowed his eyes, when he put two and two together. "Y-you're the intruder?"

Phoebe bit her lower lip in embarrassment, weakly muttering, "Surprise..."

"Phoebe," Aladdin's voice could not mask the disappointment in his voice. "You're under arrest..."

"Yeah, sorry, I'm resisting arrest..." Phoebe pulled out the short sword strapped to her side, to show him she meant business.

"Phoebe, put it away before someone gets hurt."

"No..." Phoebe defiantly stated, flexing her wings. "No one is getting hurt," she tried to assure him.

Even though her brain was screaming at her, while her body was enjoying the feeling of excitement, Phoebe formulated a plan just as she started running straight for Aladdin.

"Phoebe!" Aladdin unsheathed his scimitar to parry her attack, but at the last second, the winged girl, threw something at the wall beside him and removed the shield from her back.

Then with as much force as she could muster combined with the running start, she pushed Aladdin with her shield, and into the black spot she had thrown at the wall.

Aladdin was too shocked and too surprised to even react fast enough to Phoebe's attack, before he found himself on top of two of his fellow guards on one of the sentinels' blocks positioned around the castle.

Phoebe dropped her shield in shock when she no longer saw Aladdin anywhere around her. Almost immediately, the winged girl felt the guilt roll onto her shoulders.

"Oh, Lord, Yen Sid is going to kill me," Phoebe sighed, placing the shield back onto her back.

Shaking her head, Phoebe ran towards the pull of the Hat, trying to forget or to try and fathom exactly what that one small interaction would cost her later on.

Upon entering the circular room, Phoebe stopped, frowning in surprise to find the room void of anything. No pedestal. No lights. And no hat.

But still she could feel the call.

Phoebe frantically kicked the floor, trying to hear for a hollow hiding place or activate a secret trap door. Then, right before her eyes, as her hand pressed down on a stone set in the wall, the center of the room started to sink.

"That's new," But before Phoebe could bolt, thinking it was a trap, the girl watched as the sinking stones became a spiral staircase.

Smiling to herself, Phoebe took a tentative step, but suddenly she was blown back, and collided with the wall behind her.

The winged girl groaned as she slid down to the floor. "Oww..."

"Phoebe, get up!" Vanessa's voice screamed inside of her, snapping the girl's attention to the sudden appearance of a circle of green flames.

Maleficent.

"My dear, looking for this?" The fae asked, holding up the raggedy Sorcerer's Hat.

Phoebe's hand instinctually grabbed onto the hilt of her sword, but made no such movements to unsheathe it.

When she received no reply, Maleficent felt like rolling her eyes. "It's a simple question girl-"

 _"It's mine to begin with,"_ Vanessa hissed in Phoebe's ear, but the short girl ignored it.

"Yes, I am." Phoebe curtly, replied, and stood up, trying not to look too intimidated by the tall fae's presence. Her hand still holding on tightly to the leather grip of her sword.

"My dear girl are you stealing from your own masters?" Maleficent coolly asked, trying not to let the venom in her voice be too light.

Phoebe sighed, she wanted nothing to do with Maleficent, and she didn't want the Mistress to receive too much information. "I have no business with you, Dragon Lady, nor have I done anything to upset you."

Reaching for the hat that Maleficent was tightly gripping, Phoebe stood on her tip-toes just to reach it. "Thank you for find-"

"What game are you playing at, child?" Maleficent froze the girl with her staff, before she could even touch the hat.

"Game?" Phoebe sputtered out, surprised that her mouth could still move, while the rest of her could not. "Why does everyone think I'm playing? I may be a kid, but gee-AH!" Phoebe screamed as Maleficent lifted her higher with her staff, and made her wings fully extend.

"Another witty remark and your wings are gone," Maleficent snapped. "I had wings once... It would be a shame if something were to happen to yours as well..."

Phoebe gritted her teeth at the dark fae, but acquiesced. The threat was viable, and one that she didn't want to test out, so the winged girl let go of the tension from her body that tried to break out of the spell that held her in place.

Maleficent cackled at Phoebe's response. "Better... Don't worry my pet, I don't want you dead..." A green finger slid down Phoebe's cheek in false comfort, ignoring the way her wings started to twitch.

"I need you very much alive, and if you do exactly what I want- who knows, you might like what I have to offer. But not yet, the time is not yet right, and you are needed with the king."

The very next second, Phoebe could see nothing, but all she could feel was the heat of the flames and the sour smell of sulfur and dead foliage.

Phoebe felt herself being thrown to the floor with her sword and the hat in each hand, but she felt something velvety covering her entire body ... A blanket?

Phoebe blinked rapidly, trying to clear the darkness in her vision but to no avail. She felt so dizzy- wait someone's speaking.

"Your Majesties..." It was clearly Maleficent's voice, but something was off about it, she could hear faint traces of controlled joy. "I've taken the liberty of finding your 'little thief,' for you."

"Well -"

Why did that sound like Yen Sid?

"- where is the supposed thief then? I hope he didn't give you the slip," the wizened sorcerer quipped, his voice was coming from somewhere in front of where Phoebe was, but as she tried to focus on it, the ringing in her ears seemed to multiply.

"This thief is no _he_ , my dear _Yen Sid_ , but rather a _she_ ," Maleficent shot back.

"Guys," the appearance of Mickey's voice stopped whatever argument the two magic-users would have started. "Please, let's be civil for once- okay Maleficent, where is the thief?"

"I'm so glad you asked because, _here's your precious little apprentice, now!"_ Maleficent yanked back her robe, to reveal the short winged girl that she had hidden underneath the folds of black velvet.

Phoebe shot up like she'd been struck by lightning, as the darkness gave way into the garish light. The winged girl's eyesight tried to adjust to the light, and make sense of what was going on, but apparently swinging your sword around was not the appropriate response.

But she immediately halted when she heard Yen Sid screaming at her to calm down.

Phoebe felt the sword in her hand drop to the ground, but by her own accord. Yet still she held the hat tightly in her hand. Her mouth fell open, a deer in the headlights. The child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. A murderer caught red-handed.

"Phoebe, what are you doing breaking into the castle?!" Yen Sid and Mickey's voices rang together in almost perfect harmony as they stared at what they thought as their good little apprentice.

"Don't you see the hat in her hands? She's after the hat- and to think only a villain would stoop that low," Maleficent sneered.

Phoebe felt her own frustration build up, screaming, "No, I'm not stealing it! I-I the hat belongs to me!" the winged girl exclaimed, thinking of the same words Vanessa had told her only moments before.

"Magic is corrupting her, don't you see?!"

"No, Yen Sid, please, you have to understand, my friends-"

The rebel kids?" Mickey cut in.

"Yeah- but look they're good, they just want to live, and they're agents of Fate- Fate, guys! They've stolen the hat before, but for a good cause-"

"Phoebe!" Yen Sid bellowed. "They shouldn't even live in the Parks, they're not important, just background ch-"

The winged girl brought her sword back up and pointed it straight at Yen Sid. "Don't you dare call them that." Phoebe took a deep breath and immediately felt herself calm down. She knew that yelling would get her nowhere right now- it would only prove to everyone that she was tricked into doing the dirty work of people she called 'friends.' No, there was always a right way of doing things, right now logic and evidence would prevail.

"Guys, if everyone can calm down," Phoebe started. "I can give you a logical explanation for what I'm doing, and information on the case of the an-."

"GET DOWN!" Minnie shouted, interrupting her, but before anyone could react a large boom was heard, and suddenly there was a giant hole in the left side of the throne room, causing everyone, except Phoebe to gasp in surprise.

The sudden appearance of a hole allowed heavy winds to enter, making the air ripple around everyone in the throne room, but not enough to drown out the sound of metal grinding.

Opening their eyes, the gathered group in the throne room stared in shock at the large ship that was floating just outside the large hole.

"Guards, someone shoot down the ship," Mickey commanded, summoning ten guards, which for some reason were exact replicas of Goofy. Two of them rushed the king and queen out as the feeling off a battle was approaching.

The ship appeared to be one from Star Wars, from the futuristic style of transportation to the blue plasma light that was allowing it to stay afloat. A hatch started opening on the front side of the ship; that was her escape.

"Time to go," Phoebe muttered, but before she could move, Maleficent was at her side and grabbed her roughly by her arm, piercing her flesh with her sharp finger nails.

The winged girl sucked in a breath from both pain and shock, but before Maleficent could do anything worse, Yen Sid released a powerful blast at the dark fae, forcing her to release the girl.

"Phoebe, run!" Her master shouted, a barrier appeared around Maleficent forcing her to stay still, but it started dissolving just as quickly as it appeared.

"Yen Sid, I can explain, seriously, for everything, I pr-"

"Phoebe, c'mon!" Lauren shouted, from the bridge of the ship, causing the winged girl to turn around and face her.

Nodding, Phoebe jumped and started to fly over the guards as they tried to stop her, but what ultimately did make her stop was the scream of pain that sliced through the air.

Yen Sid was down, and Maleficent stood proudly over him.

The guards started running towards her, their halberds pointing threateningly at Maleficent, hoping that she would give up, but instead she cast a spell on them, turning them to stone.

"Oh, Phoebe leaving so soon? I'm afraid your friends aren't," Maleficent coyly exclaimed, then with a wave of her staff, the ship froze, and everyone inside it.

The Sorcerer's Hat in Phoebe's hands started getting warm, but in a comforting way, like it was trying to help her. Yen Sid once talked about the hat behaving like a sentient being, but was it? Ideas, ideas, ideas.

"Yes, they are!" Phoebe reached around and in one of her pockets threw her last infinity hole at Maleficent.

The dark fae rolled her eyes as she merely shifted her torso to the left and missed the spot. "What was that-"

"Genie, now!"

Appearing from the infinity hole, Aladdin jumped out and threw the magic lamp at Maleficent.

The giant blue djinn came out of the lamp, dressed as a large old lady in a mustard colored dress with pink diamonds. "Detweiler," the usually jovial tone of Genie's voice was replaced by a chain smoker's voice. "I'm on to you, give me that!"

And like nothing snatched away Maleficent's staff from her very hands. "NO! You fool, give that back!"

Genie's form transfigured into that of a small blue gingerbread man, "If you can catch me!" he shouted, still somehow running around carrying the five foot tall staff.

And with Maleficent's staff gone, all her spells stopped, including the one freezing the ship her friends were on.

Phoebe grinned at the sight of Maleficent chasing around a three inch tall gingerbread man and decided it was time to go, after all the guards were no longer stone and would try to arrest her.

"Aladdin! I owe you one!"

"Hey, I can't keep saving you y'know?" Aladdin playfully teased, flashing her a smirk, causing the girl to blush.

But the girl rolled it off by faking a groan. "Whatever..." Phoebe peaked into the Sorcerer's Hat watching in awe as the once empty hat contained what looked like a million galaxies swirling around... Dimensions... The hat was a portal...

"Well, see ya real soon!" The winged girl imitated Mickey Mouse. Then picking up her sword, Phoebe ran full speed toward the ship, but before she made it to the ledge, she stuck out the hat and powered up a spell that just came to her.

Then right before her eyes, the ship and everyone inside was sucked into the hat! "Wait, I need to be on there!" Phoebe suddenly realized when she was all alone."

 _"Now, Phoebe,"_ Vanessa's reprimanding voice echoed in her thoughts. _"The hat is programmed for the bearer's purpose, where you sent them, so shall you- no matter the time, no matter the world."_

"Oh, cool... So where did I send them?"

 _"It's a small junkyard planet- often overlooked, but right now, I feel the Fates's scheming on this place."_

"Which place exactly?"

 _"A hot desert planet called Jakku."_


	21. Episode VIV

**How to Awaken the Force: In Three Easy Steps(Volume I)**

* * *

 **A/N: Special thanks to Godwriting and Flying Pig for getting my butt back into writing. Sorry again for the long wait.**

* * *

 _"I am one with the Force and the force is with me. " - Chirrut, Rogue One_

* * *

"Oh, Rhoda-" three female voices rang together. The scratchy tones masked the dark laughter of the three crones.

Phoebe barely had time to register what was going on before she felt three pairs of hands half-dragging her towards a large tapestry they had pinned onto a cave wall. The girl nearly screamed at the feeling of the scratchy, foreign texture of the skin, but a nearby torch allowed her to see exactly who her 'captors' were.

"What the heck- The hat! Wait, you're the Fates!"

"Shut up, we're only going to say this once," the tall Fate exclaimed.

"What-"

"Now Rhode, we never took you for the illogical one-"

"It's Phoebe, first of all, but please continue," Phoebe hurriedly replied, her interest was growing at why exactly she was in the cave of the Fates. They only talked to gods... and one god in particular, but weren't they supposed to be neutral? Vanessa, any help?

But no reply was made, not even the feeling that she was there- what the heck was going on?

"Stop doing that," the short Fate twittered.

Phoebe looked at the purple Fate quizzically.

"She has no power here. And the 'here' is the hat before you ask, you are the only magic this dimension needs. And since you are inside the hat, it currently resides on the floor where you were sucked in."

Phoebe frowned and opened her mouth to try to ask at least one of the thousands of questions popping into her mind, but one slipped passed the others. "Where are my friends? I thought I was going to the same place as them?"

"They've been scattered for our benefit, you'll find them, eventually... If you want to go back home," the green Fate added forebodingly.

"Child, look at this tapestry- what do you see?" the blue Fate asked, turning the girl's attention toward the long maroon rug that made up most of the room.

"I see a large triangle at the end wearing a bow tie and a top hat, surrounded by blue flames. What were you guys thinking when you knitted that -"

All three Fates sighed as one, and the medium-height one, who had the eye, grabbed Phoebe's head and shifted it to look at the entire tapestry. The long maroon rug made up nearly the entirety of the large enclosure, but not because of its length; because there were smaller tapestries that were stitched onto the large one, making the entire sight look like an octopus with its many tentacles.

The main one, which seemed to only make up the Greek Pantheon had several mini tapestries that were randomly stitched onto certain portions of recognizable stories that were under some of the gods' history.

"W-why are there mini... tapestries? Yeah that's it... Under some of the gods?"

"Their mortal offspring from different worlds, surely you recognize some of the people," the nicer Fate explained. Her empty eyes sockets bored into Phoebe's eyes, unnerving her even more than any other person she had ever met.

So to avoid them, the winged girl turned her attention toward the 'mini' tapestries of the demigods, and easily recognized the faces she saw. Most of them were stitched under Zeus, extending from Phoebus, Arthur, the Emperor from Mulan, Cinderella, and the Beast?

"So many children in all those worlds," the short Fate snickered. "They thought they could run away from us, but instead they fell into our trap."

"You mean to tell me you guys got so bored with the trifling of the gods that you were like: 'Hey I got a grand old idea, there's tons more worlds, let's have some fun...?'"

"Sounds about right, yeah."

"But you couldn't do it unless they were involved somehow."

Two of the Fates cackled. "So much smarter than her father."

"All his mortal brood are," the short Fate agreed.

"My dad? Who-"

"Hush, we have thirty seconds before you're ambushed," the tallest fate snapped.

Phoebe's eyes widened in fear and then confusion. "How?"

"You're in a dream, dear child," the medium-height Fate explained. "Straight from our very own office."

Phoebe acknowledged the piece of information in her usual way of tightening her lips and shaking her head, all the while mouthing the word, "Ah," and said no more, hoping that someone would explain what exactly was going on.

"Yes, we spin the destiny of all the worlds, but on occasion some have tried to change the course of history, or things don't go according to our design-"

"You didn't account on free will, did'ja?"

"Hush up!" The short Fate tugged, Phoebe's wing, using her close proximity to grab one of the long feathers. "And now you're going to make sure everything goes according to our plans."

"What?! I ref-"

All three Fates cut her off as they cryptically exclaimed in unison, "Rhode, welcome to the Editors. We've been expecting you..."

"Don't die!"

"Be nice!"

"But most importantly-"

The crones started cackling at seeing Phoebe's face twist into a scowl, but that was when the world around the winged girl started to go hazy, and before she knew it, something rather hard bonked her on the head.

Ow... Why was the sun so bright?

"Hey! Get off my house!"

Bonk.

Phoebe sat straight up, screaming rather loudly, "Ow!" Thanks to the sharp pain that erupted in the side of her head, her wings flared out to push her assailant away.

"Hey!" A little girl screamed as she fell off the metal contraption Phoebe was laying on.

Massaging the side of her head that was rather rudely bonked, Phoebe realized that her head wasn't making things up, she was in fact in a very bright place, with, oh Lord sand on her face? Gosh it was everywhere, so coarse and rough...

Suddenly the same little girl jumped back on the metal machine, waving the too large staff in her hand threateningly at her, but she was careful to stay away from Phoebe's wings this time. "This is my home, find your own!"

Getting a good look at the little girl, Phoebe couldn't help but snort at the threatening look a seven year old was giving her, and the way her hair was stylized in a three bun look, she was so... innocent and the rags she wore was very unsuitable. What was she doing all by herself?

"Put the little stick down," Phoebe stood up, putting her hands out to show the girl that she meant no harm. "I didn't mean to sleep on your-" The winged girl's eyes widened when she saw what exactly this 'home' was.

"An AT-AT," Phoebe whispered in awe. Sure it was crashed on its side, but her inner nerd was reeling when things started to make sense.

"Hey, sweetie, is this the planet Jakku?"

The girl blinked at the endearment, never having had someone call her such a thing. "...Y-yes..."

"Cool beans..." Phoebe jumped off the side of the large vehicle, the dark brown robes that she was wearing flared around her as she landed on the ground. Wait, what on earth was she wearing?

Shaking off the buildup of questions that were starting to escalate way too much, Phoebe continued inspecting the long tan tunic she wore underneath the robes and the tights she wore underneath. Her fingers casually grazed the thick leather belt that held the tunic in place, and gasped at the cold metal that made contact with her skin... Was that a light saber?!

"Can you just point me to the nearest town? I need to find the people I'm traveling with, or your parents?" Phoebe asked calmly, trying very hard not to fangirl about having a light saber, or even let her finger slip, oops it just slipped.

The little girl still refused to lower her stance but her shoulders visibly relaxed when she saw that Phoebe was merely asking for directions, but still, she wanted some answers to how this girl with wings suddenly landed on her home. "My parents are looking for me, they dropped me off here and I'm waiting for them to get back."

"Oh..." Phoebe silently wondered what kind of parents would leave a kid all alone. "Sooo, do you know where the nearest town is?"

"It's down that way, but it's mid-afternoon, you'll die in the heat if you go now. Especially with no water. And I don't have any, so don't ask me for any," the girl added, her little body became stiff again as if she was waiting for Phoebe to try to attack her.

"Um... That's fine... I'm Magic," Phoebe casually said, taking off the robe and with her finger mended the slits that her wings slid through with magic, and put it back on with her wings this time hidden to the world.

"What's Magic?"

"Oh, yeah, this is Star Wars... I am the Force." Phoebe snorted to herself realizing that in this world she would actually be the equivalent of the Force. Weird.

The girl gave her a wary look, "Are you a Jedi?"

"What makes you say so?" Phoebe asked, silently wondering if she recognized the robes she was wearing. She made her way into the girl's home, which was really more spacious than she at first assumed.

"They can do things that other people can't..." The girl replied, running in front of her to try and keep an eye on her.

"Oh, you mean move things-" Phoebe lifted her hand and with her magic levitated a small canteen into her other hand. "And create things- but not well... I'm what you could call..." Phoebe hesitated trying to find the right word. "A Padawan, but you can call me Phoebe. What about you, kid?"

The girl remained still, but her staff was still held tightly in her grip.

Phoebe sighed, and uncorked the top off the canteen, and peered into it, satisfied that there was still some water in there. Maybe not even a quarter full, but she could still make some, thank goodness Yen Sid taught her something useful.

Without a word, Phoebe pretended to take a sip, but instead whispered a spell to increase the water. Then sealing the canteen the winged girl set it down where she found it and kneeled in front of the child.

"C'mon, kid, I could very well be your fairy godmother/space Gandalf/ or even your Obi-Wan Kenobi."

The girl looked at her with bright hazel eyes, and her cracked dry lips parted, "My name is Rey."

"Well nice to meet you, kid. Now c'mon, you need something to eat, you look half-starved, and I am not leaving without making sure you're fed."

Rey looked at her with a bemused expression written all over her face. "I have no rations and town is half a day's walk from here."

Phoebe smirked. "Who said anything about walking?" Taking off her robe, Phoebe, with Rey's permission put the piece of clothing on her.

Rey grimaced at the action, but said nothing. Never having had someone do things for her like this."You mean you can fly? Like an x-wing?"

"Yeah I can fly, not like a space ship, but we 'bout to find out." Phoebe walked out of the little girl's home and allowed her wings to stretch out.

"Okay, kid," Phoebe turned around to find Rey still trailing her. "I have never carried someone, so how about you climb on my back, and we'll fly there."

Rey looked between her makeshift home to Phoebe, literally a person she's known for five minutes. "So you'll make sure I get food?"

"Yeah- and I'll look for my friends while we're at it, and if I find them or not I'll still return you home with a full belly. Fair?"

Rey did not respond, all she did was nod.

Phoebe kneeled down and let Rey put her arms around her neck and allowed Phoebe to lift her legs up.

"You good?" Phoebe asked, surprised how light the girl was, must be because she was half-starving.

"Yes."

"Cool beans, also, holler if you're going to slip."

"Ok-" Rey said hesitantly started, but could not finish as she felt the world underneath her vanish as Phoebe took to the skies.

"We're flying! Actually flying!" Rey giggled.

Phoebe smiled to herself. Rey might've had quite the independent streak living all alone and everything, but she was still a child... How could someone just leave her? Maybe that's why she was sent to her. The Fates saw her destiny as some kind of importance, maybe it was to take her off of this wasteland planet and get her toward other people?

Who knows? Phoebe droned on in her mind. Speaking of which what is happening in this world? Is it after episode VI? After the prequels? Hmm... She really hated not knowing these sorts of things.

Theme Music explodes from nowhere.

Phoebe nearly dropped Rey at the sound of the Star Wars theme. Suddenly a message was being written across the sky in yellow lettering.

 _It is a period of peace. Twelve years have passed since the Rebellion had successfully thrown over the tyrannical rule of the Empire, and the galaxy is without order once more. With Princess Leia Organa-Solo reorganizing the Senate and Luke Skywalker training a new generation of Jedis, including his own nephew; it seems like all is well, but after war comes the struggles of rebuilding the old Republic._

 _Still turmoil stirs once more in the galaxy as it is once more caught in the devices of the Fates, a mysterious triad of immortal beings tasked with writing the destiny of all the different worlds. Yet in order to do so, the Fates have sent in a group of special agents to make sure everything goes according to their plans no matter the cost..._

 _Phoebe Palomera is lost. Despite listening to the words of the former Magic, the girl finds herself stuck on a hot desert planet, without any of her companions, left to die with an abandoned orphan. Still she is hoping to steal a ship and find her friends who are scattered about the galaxy looking for her. But little does Phoebe know of what's happening in the galaxy around her..._

"Oh... I'm going to take that as some quality advice..."

* * *

"Bloody hell!" Lauren cursed, seeing the very same message Phoebe had seen, at exactly the same moment, just light years away. The short-haired brunette had a black robe covering nearly all of her features, but her oddly glowing eyes stared off at the now normal starry galaxy.

Elise stood right beside her, dressed in a grey uniform with two rows of red and blue badges, five of each color. "Fates, she's supposed to be with us!"

"Well, it's not like we're with Tammy, Inigo, Zelda, or Drew... Crap, Drew's all out on her own."

"Probably," Elise noted. "She could be meeting some very nice people."

* * *

Drew screamed at the top of her lungs. Her mind was screaming. Her very soul was screaming. What the heck was happening? Phoebe was there with the hat, now where was she?! Oh God, she needed help.

Hey Force, send help! she silently prayed, hoping maybe the Force would do something about her current predicament.

Drew looked around her surroundings and found herself stuck in a tight cockpit with a vast array of little knobs and controls and a multitude of buttons in front of her; the likes of which she had no idea how to use. Also to make the situation a little more clearer, she was currently in space, mid-battle, and she didn't know how to fly a space ship.

"Rogue Five- are you okay? Rogue five do you copy! Your starting to lose altitude!"

That snapped Drew to attention, and she grabbed onto the joy stick that she guessed controlled the ship and yanked it back, lifting the nose of the ship upwards, but because she kept the stick in that way, she started going into several loopy-loops.

"Rogue Five, this is Rogue leader, what is the problem?! You're breaking formation!"

With Drew's free hand, she pressed the microphone attached to her helmet closer to her mouth. "Yeah, I know there's a problem, you jack-turd- I CAN'T FLY!"

"What do you mean you can't fly?!"

"Would you like me to demonstrate some more?!" Drew yelled back. "Wait got it!" The brunette exclaimed in excitement as she managed to right the x-wing., but as soon as she did, something was shooting at her.

"AH!" Drew screamed once again as green lasers hit one of her wings, and threw the ship to the side in response. A series of beeping echoed in her microphone, but for some reason she could understand it.

"Yes, fix it, whatever your name is- Oh, it's BB-2, well nice to meet you- AH!"

As if out of nowhere a new squadron of x-wings appeared out of light speed.

"Oh, thank God, that's the cavalry," Drew sighed in relief, but still, a battle was raging on, and she was caught in the crosshairs. "Wait, are those ships my friends?"

Drew's eyes widened as three TIE fighters in a formation were in front of her ship. Reacting, Drew swerved the joy stick to the right, and to the left, spinning the ship every which way, just so she could miss the missiles being shot at her. She had no pattern on which direction she would go, but somehow she always missed getting hit.

"That'll be my enemies... Now, how do I shoot this thing? BB-2, how's the wing?" Drew called out, and pushed the little button on top of the steering stick, releasing her own blast at the approaching enemy, and when her blast hit one of the TIE fighters, her mouth fell into a giant 'o.'

"Hey, Rogue Leader, I found the shooty shooty shot button."

"Come again?!"

"I got you," Drew said rather nonchalantly, but on the inside she was screaming, and before she realized exactly what her body was telling her, she found herself diving, only for her to spin around to the left and join up what was left of her squadron.

But still, the enemy TIE fighters noticed the single ship and advanced toward her. So having no choice, Drew put her knowledge of Mario Kart and her reaction skills to the test, shooting anything that shot at her, or swerving away to miss the blasts aimed at her.

It was strenuous and rather difficult multi-tasking flying the ship, aiming for the enemy fighters, and having to hear her BB unit scream obscenities at her, no wait, that was Rogue leader. They were starting to sound the same.

But as soon as the battle had started it was over.

The squadron of X-wings that arrived a little after she did, seemed to turn the tide of the battle, and now the remaining TIE fighters were retreating into hyperspace.

Cheering was erupting from her headphones. "Rogue five, thanks for sending out your distress signal," a rather familiar voice shouted above the rest.

"Um... Wat?"

"Rogue five," Drew's commanding officer called out. "That is Master Skywalker, treat him with some respect!"

"What?! Distress signal- I did nothing!"

"Rogue five," Luke's voice calmly started. "I personally want to talk to you about the sort of distress signal you sent. Your BB unit just received the coordinates to where I would like to meet you. Rogue leader, I hope you don't mind me taking one of your pilots."

"Uh-uh," Rogue leader stuttered trying to find the right words. "O-of course, Master Luke... Anything..."

Drew momentarily felt rather confused, but after switching the flight control to BB-2, she didn't think too much into what exactly Luke was implying, but at least she found someone who was remotely familiar. Having been living with Phoebe since she was born, she knew quite a lot about Star Wars, heck just as much as her sister.

And if Luke "cinnamon roll" Skywalker wanted to talk to her, she was going to meet him. After all he could help her find her sister's friends, or maybe they were with him. Who knows? He was the Jedi master, he could use the force to find them, or something cool. Yes...

Phoebe was with Luke, everyone was with Luke. Even freaking Princess Leia. Han freaking Solo too...

"Hey... Wait," Drew exclaimed as the ship flew into light speed, what were those yellow letters? They flew past them too quickly to read what they said.

Oh, well, it's not like they were important or anything.

* * *

"Speaking of which, we are on a Imperial Star Destroyer, correct? I thought only the Galactic Empire controlled them since the end of the Rebellion, so are we on the light side?" Elise asked.

Lauren cocked her head in a rather confused manner. "That's a good point, but I don't think so... What if there are still dissenters? I mean not everyone likes democracy."

"I don't," Elise pointed out.

"You just proved my point."

"Neat," Elise grinned.

"Huh," Lauren sighed, her face falling at Elise's childish quirks. "Hun, work with me here."

"Now why should I? You're the one dressed like a villain. I should arrest you."

"We're on the same side, you dork."

"Oh... So do I arrest us both?"

Lauren pulled her hood farther down her face, now covering her eyes. "Damnit, Elise, stop, I have a migraine!"

Elise froze. Lauren _never_ raised her voice at her. If she did it was always playful or maybe because they were about to die, in both cases yelling was extremely appropriate, but...? "Lauren, I demand to know what's going on with you. Ever since tag your dead, you've been really... Off, standoffish, and other words in my lexicon that I seem to have forgotten."

The skipper rubbed her hand down her face. "I'm fine, don't worry about me, we have more matters to take care of..." Lauren stared curiously at Elise's new outfit. "Actually... We need to find the others. Didn't Zelda say something about Jakku?

"Yes...?" Elise hesitantly drawled out. "So how would we get there?"

"You ready to commandeer a ship?"

Elise put an innocent finger on her lips. "Hmm, what ship could we possibly steal without anyone noticing?"

The two girls face's reflected the other as the same dark thought crossed their mind.

"Well, Lis, you know how I like to go with style."

"You read my mind."

* * *

Inigo curiously looked around the bed he was suddenly plopped on. It took forty tries but the Fates finally let him land softly. The last snake pit he fell in was _awful_ and he still had the anti venom in his system. The memory of Lauren injecting it into his veins still burned, even worse than the actual decomposition process the actual venom did to his heart and lungs.

Sitting up, Inigo let his feet dangle from the top bunk he was currently situated on. There were at least nine other bunk beds, but it looked like he was the only one in here. Odd, this was rather like a military cabin with all the black and grey monotone colors, and why was he wearing white body armor- oh.

"They made me a storm trooper? I know I can't shoot that well, but jeez!"

Wait, where were the girls? The entire group usually always stayed together; it was rather rare when just two of them were somewhere else, but never alone. What game were the Fates playing at now? The three of them always creeped the living daylights out of Inigo, especially when they point-blank retold his life story without so much as a bat of the eye. The storm trooper laughed at his own clever joke.

Deciding to investigate his surroundings, Inigo climbed off of the bunk and as he stepped toward the door, he realized he was not alone.

A young boy with dark skin was lying in the bunk below him. His back was facing him, but what startled Inigo more was not that he wasn't wearing the armor, but because he looked like he was shaking.

"Hey..." Inigo hesitantly called out. "Are you okay?"

The boy turned on his right side, so he could see who was addressing him. Realizing that he had not made up the voice, the kid wiped the tear stains on his face, quickly before Inigo could notice.

But notice he did.

"Hey, buddy, what's wrong? Feeling a little blue?" Inigo chose to sit at the end of the bed. "I know I would too if no one was there to comfort me when I cried."

"I wasn't crying," the boy sat up and brought his knees into his chest. "I'm just mad..."

"Well everybody gets mad now and then, sometimes for the right reasons and sometimes the wrong. Most of the time, I can't tell if I'm justified or not, I just ask myself: Am I overreacting over nothing? But I would like to add that getting your feelings hurt does not mean that I'm overreacting."

The boy shrugged. "My commanders don't care for feelings."

"What about your parents?"

"I don't have any. I just have the clones, and others like me taken into service. I'm just a nobody; another face in the masses."

"Kid, I could tell you tons of stories about people who were nobodies who became some-bodies."

"Yeah? Like who?"

"Well there's Luke Skywalker: a farmer. He was just a kid when suddenly he was swept up in the rebellion."

The boy's eyes lit up. "Luke Skywalker was a nobody? He's the guy that killed the emperor and Darth Vader, right? The Jedi Master! No one _ever_ talks about him, I don't know why, but they whisper his name, and whenever I ask the other troopers how the Empire fell, they just say Skywalker, or sometimes a princess, it depends on the person. But aren't they the bad guys?"

Inigo remained silent. "Perspective is everything. I can't tell you whether people are bad or good at heart, just their actions. I can't tell you how to think or what to believe, but I will tell you the story of a family that changed the entire galaxy from two different perspectives: the Empire's and the Rebellion."

The boy's previous anger melted away at the promise of a story. Finally, someone was going to answer his questions!

"Darth Vader wasn't always Darth Vader, he was once a slave on the desert planet of Tattoine, going by the name of Anakin Skywalker."

"Wait, Skywalker? They're related?"

"Hey, the space opera only goes up from here, seriously, you wanna be happy in this world? _Stay away from the Skywalkers_." Inigo's voice turned dark and foreboding. " _It will save your life."_

After that lovely little introduction to the summary of all six Star Wars movies or as Inigo liked to call it: 'Skywalker: The Soap Opera, but with more action and lasers,' he intently watched the boy's facial expression.

He had watched it of course, checking for signs to see which side the boy favored, but really, what can a child of the Empire feel about what they were known for? Inigo had seen the smiles, the frowns, the confused glances, and the unadulterated joy whenever the plot thickened in an unexpected way, but now that it ended to where

"So, satisfied?"

The boy meekly made eye contact with Inigo, a gaze that should not have belonged to an eight year old boy. "You promise me you're telling me the truth?"

"Cross my heart," Inigo sweared, drawing an 'x' over his heart.

The boy nodded. "Thanks..." he weakly smiled at him. "You're the first."

"Hey, I'm your friend now."

"We're friends?" the boy stared at him incredulously. "But we just met."

"It's not hard to make friends, y'know. I'm Inigo by the way what about y- AH!"

All the bunks in the room, including the two boys sitting down on one of them, started to turn over on its side and violently slid to the other side of the room.

"The ship is turning around! We never do that!" the boy shouted.

Inigo's face fell as an idea came across his mind. "Damn it, of course they're on the ship..."

"Who?"

"C'mon, we have to get out of here!" Inigo yelled, instinctively, he grabbed the boy's hand and lead him out of the trooper's bunks.

The young boy's fell in confusion when his hand was wrapped by Inigo's. "Why are you holding my hand?!"

"It's what people do to make their friends feel safer, or dragging them away from their deaths!"

"Oh... Wait where are we going?"

"I'm taking you to safety." Inigo assured him. The two of them ran down one of the long dark hallways outside of the bunks. "The ship's about to crash and we need to put you on a ship out of here, do you know how to fly?"

"I'm nine!"

"Never too early to learn." Inigo argued, and once finding the nearest elevator, he hurriedly pressed the button. Hanger's the last floor, right?"

"Yeah, but what about the others? They can't die!" The boy exclaimed vehemently.

Inigo's eyes widened. "You're right," he solemnly expressed. "Okay, new plan, do you know where the hangar is from here?"

"Of course!"

"I want you to find as many people as possible and tell them to get outta here, not everyone knows the ship has been commandeered, and you might get a pilot, okay?"

"W-what are you gonna do?"

"Hopefully a miracle: I'm gonna try and talk some sense to my friends."

"Okay! Good-bye, Inigo! My name's FN-2187 if you ever want to find me again!" The boy spun around and ran away, leaving Inigo in front of the elevator.

"Get a name... Fin- I like that," Inigo muttered under his breath as he watched the boy screaming at the top of his lungs.

Turning his attention away from fin, the elevator dinged, signaling the car was ready.

"Damn it, I didn't ask Fin where the control room is."

* * *

"Phoebe?" Rey asked, pulling the back of Phoebe's collar to get her attention. "Can you go any faster?!"

The winged girl winced, Rey pulled a little too hard. "What's wrong, kid?" Phoebe was scanning the desolate horizon, her eyes were looking for the town, but it still seemed so far away from where the two of them were.

"Something's falling."

"What do you mean falling? Like a sh-" A large metallic plate that was on fire flew past Rey and Phoebe like a meteorite falling to earth. "-ip? Oh. Oh. Oh, dear Lord," Phoebe gasped as she craned her neck to see exactly what was falling from the sky.

In an instant, the winged girl started frantically flapping her wings with all her energy. "Imperial Star Destroyer... Hurtling towards us... If I could curse, right now would be the time." Phoebe cursed every bad word imaginable, in her mind, no way was she breaking her mom's rule of cussing and saying them out loud.

"Rey, you're my eyes, you tell me what's coming, okay, kid?!"

"Y-yeah, anything. Whoa..."

"Whoa- what?" Phoebe asked between breaths.

"It's breaking through the atmosphere, and it's all on fire."

Phoebe's heart stopped. What was it with fire? Couldn't it be water for once? She didn't care how logical that would be, but please, Fates, stop it with the fire, and the burning. "How close is it?!"

"It's not directly on top of us, maybe a mile to your left. It's like whoever is manning it is making it do a nose dive," Rey described, sounding just as confused as her companion.

"Frick, we need to keep moving the impacts gonna be pretty big, and by big, like nuclear bomb."

"A what?"

"Forget it, we're still heading to town, but because I'm dropping off you. I have a feeling I know who's manning that destroyer."

"NO! you will NOT leave me with the townspeople, I'm going with you. I'd rather trust you with my life than them."

Phoebe rolled her eyes, but accepted her answer anyway. "That's fine we're running out of time, just hold on... I've never done this before."

"Done what?!"

Phoebe gulped. She stopped flying and floated mid-air, with her wings casually flapping to keep her in place so she could inspect the scene. Frick, Rey was right, it was on fire and in mere seconds the Imperial Star Destroyer would be in a word: destroyed.

But what would that mean for Phoebe and Rey? Yes, the ship would land about a mile from them, but what if there was a huge impact? It could kill them in an instant with all the chemicals and machinery that was already on fire, and an impact could set off a giant explosion.

Something needed to slow it down or they needed to be fifty miles from here...

 _I can't teleport,_ Phoebe thought. _Frick,_ the winged girl inwardly cursed. Because ironically it seemed that the only way to slow it down was to use the Force.

* * *

As soon as Drew's ship landed(Yes, BB-2 was flying it for her), the tall brunette opened the cockpit and stepped out, finding herself in an incredibly flat land with a building made entirely out of stone not far from where she stood.

It seemed almost too ordinary to actually be a world from Star Wars, but Drew chose to go with it; it wasn't everyday you went to a new planet, after all. Removing her helmet, the girl let her long wavy locks flow out, allowing her to feel significantly more comfortable. Now that she was on the ground, Drew could finally see exactly what she was wearing: an orange jumpsuit with white straps and the weird white plastic thing that hung over her chest.

Hearing something behind her, Drew turned around to see another X-wing land beside her own. This time though, that ship was soon followed by four more X-wings.

As the pilots started disembarking, Drew suddenly felt something hitting her leg.

That something was a small round droid. The grey droid with green stripes curiously beeped at her.

Drew couldn't help but squeal in delight. "You're so cute!"

BB-2 rolled back slightly to read her expression, like it wasn't expecting that sort of reaction.

"Ah, so you must be the pilot who sent the distress signal," a calm voice brought Drew back to reality.

"Oh, yeah... The name's... Andromeda... Mera. You're Luke Skywalker, right? The Jedi?" Drew hesitantly asked. She didn't want to be called by her nickname, but decided that her full name could work in this world, Phoebe seemed to like pseudo names, so why not her?

"Yes, to both, but I'm also a teacher to those gifted with high sensitivity to a special thing that binds this world togeth-"

"You mean the Force?" Drew interrupted him.

Luke curiously eyed her. "Yes, tell me... Have you ever been able to do things that you couldn't expl-"

"Look, Skywalker," the brunette interrupted him once more. "I'm not Force-sensitive, heck, I'm not even from this world. I was plopped here because of my crazy sister and now I need to find her and her even crazier friends before they destroy this freaking galaxy!"

"Ah, yes... so you're not from this world. Possibly Earth?"

"Yeah, how did ya know?"

Luke chuckled. "Let's just say I met a boy who was 'plopped' as you say into this world. Rather charming boy, a bit on the eccentric side, but can you blame us Force-users?"

"Us?"

"Why, yes. It was you who sent the distress signal, after all. Let me guess, you were dropped into the middle of that battle weren't you? Scared, surprised, freaking out? You cried out, and asked for help, and we heard, but it seems not because of dumb luck, hmm?"

"Yo, don't go all Yoda on me."

The middle-aged man smiled at that. "You and that boy are certainly from the same world. You two are the only ones who heard of him besides me and those who are no longer living."

"Yup, now you're getting freaky."

"I apologize, but you are most certainly force-sensitive. Maybe not in your world, but here, you are in tune with the Force." From the folds of his robes, Luke procured his light saber. "Lift it. Don't try. Just do."

Drew looked at the man and cocked her eyebrow in mild annoyance. A crowd started to gather as well. The other pilots who were part of the rescue squadron were all wearing the same Jedi robes as Luke, the only difference though was the young age.

Seeing that he was serious, and so was his groupies were waiting for a show, the brunette groaned and decided to get it over with.

Drew extended out her arm and held it out, like she was reaching for the saber.

Her honey-colored eyes twitched in annoyance as she scrunched her eyebrows together, but other than that, no other expressions were made on her face. Taking a deep breath, Drew put all her focus on the light saber lying on Luke's open palm.

Suddenly the light saber started to twitch.

Drew's eyes widened but said nothing, instead she kept concentrating, and in seconds the light saber practically flew into her right hand.

"Excellent, Andromeda!" Luke cheered, as well as the other padawans around her, except for the boy with very prominent ears, who just sulked with his arms crossed.

"Come, come!" The Jedi master started speaking erratically, as he practically ran to the stone building that was half a football field away from them. "You must meet my other students! Hurry, they should be eating as we speak. I'll introduce you and you can eat. "

Drew shrugged, but decided she might as well follow him. BB-2 wobbled encouragingly and released a few beeps, tapped her lightly to get a move on.

"I'm going, I'm going! Don't be pushy, you adorable little ball of cuteness."

"Step aside!"an arrogant voice commanded, and rather rudely pushed Drew out of his way.

"Hey, you turd, I'm walking here!" Drew yelled back at the little punk as soon as she regained her balance.

The thin boy craned his neck slightly, watching her from the corner of his eyes. "Oh, didn't notice you there."

"Didn't notice me, you jack-butt? Well I'll make you notice!" Drew raged and turned on the light saber that was conveniently still in her hand.

A green light saber was held in Drew's hands, and the look of pure unadulterated rage was demanding a fight.

The pale faced boy with dark hair, cocked one eyebrow, and smirked in amusement. "Oh, so the girl's gonna fight me, huh?"

"I'm gonna do more than that," Drew threatened and lunged for the boy.

"Fine!" The boy screamed, and unsheathed his light saber, in response, but instead of the single shaft of light, two more smaller beams of light appeared on either sides of his hilt.

Drew didn't seem to care, and instead let her saber crash with his. The two green sabers collided and a shower of sparks erupted from the collision.

The other padawans' mouths dropped and the only other girl immediately groaned. "Ben, don't do this your uncle's going to kill you!"

Both of the opponents refused to make a move to stand down. Instead their light sabers refused to move, all Drew and Ben did was push with all their might, trying to knock the other down.

"That's it, I'm going to go get Luke!"

Drew realized her opponent's strategy and instead of backing off, she went for a dirty move and kicked him squarely in his groin.

Ben could barely make a sound as he fell down to his knees, and Drew stood triumphantly over him.

"Not so tough now, huh, punk?"

Luke came running with the female Twi'lek not far behind."Thank you for telling me Rashida... Leia's going to kill me..."

* * *

"Guys, what the literal hell?!" Inigo screamed. It had taken him two minutes to find the control room. Most of it had been pretty easy, just go to the highest room the elevator could take you, ask a screaming officer where it was, and take a left. He was a Hufflepuff after all, and Hufflepuffs are particularly good finders.

"Hey, Inigo!" Lauren called happily. She was currently sitting at a large panel that was in the front of the room, and her hands were a blur as they pressed random buttons. At first glance it looked like she actually knew what she was doing, but in reality, she had no clue and pressed buttons erratically and moved a couple of gadgets to make the ship do something.

"Guess, what we're doing!" Elise echoed, but she was right where Inigo entered, she too was pressing random buttons, but unlike Lauren she knew what she was doing. "Oh don't look so surprised," the thin girl snapped, reading his confused expression. "I have been paying attention to your lessons on how to fly a space ship, Lauren hasn't, so you should probably help her."

Inigo was too fed up with emotions to even respond. Why was it that these two wanted to do things their way instead of a more simpler way?! " _Guys! People are on this ship! What are you thinking?!"_

Elise giggled from the background as Inigo approached Lauren. "It's like you don't know us."

Lauren turned around, but her eyes were still hidden by her black robes. "Hey, we're going to Jakku! Phoebe's there, and we need to find the rest of the group, as soon as possible. The Fates gave us a window of eighteen more hours before the door closes, or we'll be stuck here for six months."

Inigo was still at a loss for words, but he managed to stammer out a few words. "H-h-how did you even get an entire ship full of Imperial troops to run away?!"

"Easy," Elise answered. "Lauren gave them a look of death."

Inigo turned back to the short-haired girl.

"She's right."

"Ah..." Inigo calmly stated. "SO CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY WE ARE CURRENTLY FALLING?!"

"Silly..." Elise lightly teased, her too calm voice made it come out extremely unsettling. "Well we don't know how to land an Imperial Star Destroyer without a track, and from what I've read on about Jakku from this fine computer, it looks like it's just a desert... So no landing strip."

"What Elise is forgetting to say," Lauren added. "Is that as you can see, we overestimated our light speed and we are now too close to the planet that it's gravitational pull is making us take an unexpected landing."

Elise pouted, "And I wanted to pick up Phoebe with style."

"Style?!" Inigo scoffed. "HOW DOES FLAMING DEATH SOUND TO YOU?!" the newly christened storm trooper roared.

"Pretty hot actually," Elise punned.

"Terrible timing, hun," Lauren commented.

Elise sighed, "I know..."

"Guys! We are breaking the atmosphere as we speak, and you want to pun?!"

"Hey at least my puns will go out with the flames, _am I right_?" Elise spectacularly failed trying to act hip.

Inigo facepalmed.

"Twenty seconds till Armageddon, guys, better start saying your prayers now!" Lauren barked. Her eyes were glued on the window that showed them what was going on around them. Currently the destroyer was lit up, and the cloudless sky, made it a bit easier for Lauren to see the large sand dunes as the ship hurtled ever closer to the desolate wasteland, but wait, what was that thing flying?

"Oh my gods! Guys, I see Phoebe!... With a child..."

"What?!" Elise and Inigo yelled simultaneously.

"We can survive this..." Inigo whispered. "Girls new plan, can you flatten this thing?!"

"Can do," Elise exclaimed, and almost immediately the ship was now paralleled to the ground.

"Okay so either the ship is going to slide now or as soon as impact comes, if- we're coming in real fast, we will explode."

"Unless Phoebe slows it down with her magic, right?" Lauren asked.

"Yes..." Inigo whispered. "If..." he added dismissively.

* * *

"Phoebe, why is it flattening?"

"No idea, but we gotta slow it down."

"We?" Rey echoed.

"Yup... Two magic users are better than one."

"Wh-" Rey could not even finish as she felt Phoebe's sweaty palm press into hand and a river of magic flowed into the little girl. "-Oh..."

"Alright, Rey, you have to stop this ship too, now remove one of your hands and point it at the ship. In your mind picture it slowing down," Phoebe instructed.

The winged girl had no idea why she decided to give the little girl magic, but she needed to get rid of the buildup of magic because having too much could lead to control issues, and right now she needed to do this right. And her instructing Rey was really more for Phoebe, herself, than the young girl.

"Alright together!" Phoebe roared and the large metallic beast that was hurtling towards them, did not even budge to them.

"NO!" Phoebe screamed, and without thinking the winged girl felt something spark out of her hand as she punched the air in front of her in frustration.

Rey gasped as that tiny spark hit the lowest part of the ship and suddenly that little spark grew to a tremendous size and enveloped the entire flaming ship like a bubble. Instantly the flames were doused and every light that it was emitting, from its engines to the lights in the control room went out.

"Is that wa-" the little girl was cut off as the ship hit the ground.

The bubble around the ship broke the fall, but in effect the bubble burst, and so much water cascaded around the ship. The destroyer slid along the sand dunes, like a surf board along the sea as the stream of water made it continue floating down it until the dry terrain sipped it dry, and one only knew that there was ever water because of how much darker the sand looked. Yet now half the ship was buried underneath the sand dunes, giving it the appearance like it had been there for several years.

Rey's eyes were the size of saucers after seeing that powerful display of magic. "How- how did you do that?!"

Phoebe was just as perplexed as her, but her reply sounded just as snarky anyway. "... Magic."

* * *

 **TBC**


	22. Awakening the Force Part II

**How to Awaken the Force: In Three Easy Steps (Volume II)**

* * *

 _"I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere"-Star Wars Episode Two:Attack of the Clones_

* * *

Phoebe rolled her eyes. Not because she had sand in her eye, although at the moment, there were a few grains, but she was too distracted to notice. Rather she was bothered by something even more irritating than sand.

It had been an hour since the little escapade with the Imperial Star Destroyer, and after digging them out, literally, they had been trekking through the sand dunes, looking for the nearby town.

After awhile though, they managed to find the town, a little bit dehydrated and a bit on the delirious side.

"Naturally I fit into the role-"

"Not because it fit us best," Lauren added. "Although we gotta give the Fates credit, we always have the best roles in every stories."

"Never the heroes, though," Inigo commented.

"We're background characters," Elise piped up. "But the roles we get were the ones we would have been destined to be if we were born in this world. So I am a director-"

"I'm a storm trooper."

"And I'm..." Lauren started, her hood was down, and an eye patch still remained over her left eye. "Actually, I have no idea, but anyway we got everybody out of the command station and then Elise- you tell them," she gestured to her sharply dressed friend.

"Oh, yeah and then I decided it would be a good idea to-"

Phoebe didn't actually hear that part as Rey tugged at the back of her collar, pointing at what looked like a parking lot, but instead of cars, were old beat up spacecraft for sale.

"I'm going to fill up the canteen," Rey whispered to Phoebe, and the winged girl let the girl get down from her original position on her back, and scurried away searching for a place to fill more water.

"But I was all like I'M GONNA WING IT..." Lauren yelled excitedly. "And then we kind of crashed... On this planet, which by the way, Phoebe, I don't know how the hell you did that, but good job. We all believed in you."

"I always believed in you," Inigo exclaimed.

"Inigo, we're going for thank you, not desperate," Elise whispered, but Phoebe still heard her.

"But here we are and everything's gonna be okay," Lauren announced almost too ecstatically, her arms spread wide, nearly hitting a nearby old woman.

Phoebe's hand slid over her face, until it cupped her chin in thought. "You and I have completely different definitions of 'okay.'"

"Minor details, really," Elise commented. "But c'mon we had fun didn't we? Phoebe stole a child and ruined her relationship with the good people of the Magic Kingdom, all the while managing to surprise herself on her expertise of magic, while Lauren and I-"

"-And me," Inigo reminded.

"Again minor details," Elise continued, rolling her eyes in the process. "-Stole an entire star destroyer and gloriously crashed it. _Sure_ , we're missing half of our team, but we all learned something."

"Which is?" Phoebe heard herself ask, before she could think of a clever comeback.

Elise gracefully lifted her arm up like a poised lady of her status and booped Phoebe on the nose. " _You_ are one of us now."

Phoebe sighed. "Look, I did not steal the girl, the Fates kindly dropped me from the sky onto her house."

"I didn't hear you deny it," Lauren sing-songed.

"No, I'm not, I'm just wondering _why?!"_ Phoebe snapped, her wings spread out in annoyance. "What are you guys? Are you guys working for the Fates? Am I just another pawn in yet another person's scheme?! Like dear God, it's like every step I take there are eyes everywhere that knows exactly what I'm supposed to or going to be, and here I am confused as heck and, and..."

Lauren stepped forward and wrapped Phoebe in a bear hug. Even Elise came up too, and lightly patted Phoebe on her shoulder, the highest form of affection one could receive from her. Then Lauren quickly released the girl so she could look at her.

"Hey, look, I think it's time we tell you what we really do, but we need a ship first. Zelda, Tam, and Drew are still out there and we have no leads to where they are and the door from our world to this world closes in less than 17 hours, so now is not the time, but we will explain everything to you. Deal?"

Phoebe nodded her head in compliance. "Fine, but I need to feed that kid, she's starving."

"Oh, yeah, definitely, she can come with us too, but first we need to speak the language. Seriously, do you hear these crazy languages all these people are speaking?"

Phoebe looked around as Lauren spoke and noticed for the first time the many different alien species they were surrounded by. Most appeared to be humanoid, but even then, there were some smaller, distorted species that didn't resemble anything the winged girl had ever seen.

"Well, how do we learn? You gotta a TARDIS hidden in that cloak of yours?"

Lauren smirked. "Better- we got the Colors of the Wind."

Phoebe cocked a suspicious eyebrow. "We're going to _sing_?"

"Nope... the Fates give us little packets of actual Colors of the Wind-" Lauren pulled out a buckskin pouch from her side and opened it up, and out flew a small tornado of multi-colored leaves that started to encircle Lauren, making the hood of her cloak come off her head, revealing her short dark hair. "-They allow us to understand what everyone is saying, and it helps us speak their language too."

"Huh..."

"Yeah, here, how about you try it," Lauren suggested and placed the bag in her hands.

The pouch immediately closed once touching Phoebe's skin, but the skipper assured the winged girl that this was normal, the colors of the wind wanted to test the heart of the new recipient of the power of tongues.

After a couple seconds, Phoebe decided to open it, and was satisfied when the same gush of wind flew out of the pouch and surrounded her. It felt like one's eyes were being opened, like the sweet relief to understanding something that once had been foreign to you.

"Whoa," Phoebe breathed out.

"Right?" Lauren laughed. "The only bad thing about it though is it wears off after you leave the dimension, we don't really know why, but Zelda thinks because it has to reset and see which languages are spoken in each world."

"Dude, I've got to get me one of these!"

Lauren half-smiled. "Oh, we'll get you a pouch when we get back to the island."

Phoebe's lips tightened. "Yeah... We might have a little trouble getting back- the hat is still in the castle."

Lauren shrugged. "Eh, there's more than one way to get out of the hat. Remember there are doors everywhere, you'd be surprised where they end up. We'd just have to direct our old door to somewhere else."

"Phoebe!" Rey's high-pitched voice called out from behind her.

The winged girl turned around to see her with Inigo and Elise as the two of them were trying to bargain a price for one of the ships with a large-nosed goblin looking creature with small rat like eyes.

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Hey, Elise and Inigo got him distracted, you wanna steal one of the ships?"

Phoebe felt her moral compass- her head, say no, but her heart was like: Yes, do it, be a rebel.

The winged girl sighed, "Screw it," and gladly skipped to the ship Lauren had been eyeballing.

Lauren, a notorious smuggler in every right, went to the closed door of the ship and merely punched it, making the dock open up for them. "After you," Lauren fake bowed, gesturing Phoebe inside.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, smiling all the while. Then putting two fingers to her mouth, the winged girl whistled, getting the attention of her group.

"C'mon y'all!"

Unkar Plutt, the goblin-faced salesman, sucked in a breath of shock, realizing that he had been tricked. Yet in that second of hesitation, Elise grabbed Inigo's blaster, set it to stun, and tazed the man, making him fall unconscious.

Needing no other motivation, Inigo ran to the ship, Elise followed, sauntering over to them, at a leisurely pace as if she had not just intentionally tazed somebody.

But Rey did not move.

"Kid, c'mon!" Phoebe yelled.

The little girl clenched her fists, and scrunched her face as if she was in the middle of an internal war. "I can't! What if my family comes back while I'm gone?! And what if they come back when I'm not _here?! They might think I'm dead!"_

Phoebe and Lauren's faces fell. Both of the girl's maternal instincts were screaming at them to take the child anyway, she was underfed, alone, and stuck on a desolate junkyard, but the hope the girl had made both of the teenagers question their instincts.

Phoebe groaned, but she knew Rey would never forgive her if she took her away from here without a shred of knowledge of where her family was, and maybe, just maybe they would come. "Fine, but we'll come back- I owe you a good meal."

Rey smiled softly at her, a little too mournfully. "If you don't come back, I'll understand..."

Phoebe was about to argue, but Lauren pulled her inside and shut the loading door as soon as everyone was on board.

As Inigo and Lauren started to make the ship take off, Phoebe found a window and waved at the little girl. All alone blinking in the sunlight, hoping, dreaming that maybe someday, someone would come back for her.

* * *

Drew was having the best day.

Like even better than that one time when she went on that one field trip to a large ranch where she stole a horse and rode bareback across the land to her shocked second grade class. Sure, the horse tried to get her off by going to a tree and tried to use the low branches to knock her off, but, she became a legend that day, and legends never die.

Today, in the Padawan Academy, she was yet another legend, but this time because she bested Luke's nephew: Ben Solo.

Okay, so another part of her was excited because she realized her OTP reproduced, but then she kicked his butt, so this day went from amazing to super mega awesome spectacular in like ten seconds flat. Oh and she was the new leader of the other padawans, mostly because the oldest present kid was now recovering a broken pride, and since Drew had defeated said kid, she was now the new alpha.

But after Ben had been sent to his room, Luke went to see exactly how far Drew's force abilities went, and turns out she was actually not bad. Whatever this world was doing to her, she was born to be a Jedi. This was the one place where she was written as the sibling with this amazing power, and it kind of felt nice.

Honestly, Drew felt a little neglected with all the attention Phoebe was getting, and now, the tables had turned.

"Now Andromeda, in your world you did not have any special powers or anything?" Luke asked, sitting on a comfortable arm chair with Drew sitting opposite him. This was his meditating room, and it was the place where Luke would find most of his solace, or if his students needed one.

"Nah, I'm just good being me, and I've mastered the ways of tormenting my sister."

Luke chuckled. "I can imagine."

"But I mean I'm the brawn compared to my sister, she's the brains, after I knock some sense into her and she, you know, stops stuttering and be like 'what is this confidence you speak of, oh, no I have an idea coming on, ha ha- oops gotta cry now." '

Luke didn't know how to respond to that so he pretended to look at a very interesting piece of stone on the wall behind Drew.

"So that's the story of my life, now what about you? You're running a school of wizards, got a nephew, probably very alone considering George Lucas never wrote in a love interest, unless you count your sister, but that would be weird, so why the heck is there a war going on? I showed up in a fight, like what the heck can someone explain this to me?"

"Oh, that I can answer." Luke calmly replied. "Ever since the fall of the Empire with the death of the Emperor, those who still consider themselves part of the Empire have tried to ban together and remain control of the entire galaxy, but with some of my finest Jedi, the older padawans that I found a year after the fall of the Empire, have been sent across the galaxy looking for any remnants of Jedi relics or trying to look for more force-sensitive children, like yourself. Honestly I don't know how long we would maintain peace without the Jedi, considering how we are the only order trying to keep the Empire at bay."

"Cool story bro," Drew said, suddenly realizing that she was bored with the whole story. "So when do I get a light saber?"

"My young padawan," Luke shook his head in a slight reprimanding way. "A weapon is not what we concern ourselves with. Jedis believe in peace, control-"

"But I wanna light saber!" Drew argued.

Luke tried to brush off Drew's whining, with more philosophical talk, thinking maybe she would understand. "Anger and hatred lead to the path of the dark side-"

"LOL ever heard of modern times? The good guys are filled to the brim with that stuff, so do I have to steal a light saber? Cuz, I am perfectly okay with doing it."

Luke felt a giant sigh escape out of his mouth. Why were all the padawans the same? Couldn't there be one kid who didn't want a light saber? And why the heck was living as a hermit suddenly more appealing?

* * *

"We are agents of Fate," Lauren slowly stated.

The ship was currently set to light speed, with no intended destination. Just trekking through galaxies hoping that the girls would find Zelda, Tammy, and Drew wherever they landed since they had no leads to where they could be hidden.

"Yeah, the Fates told me a wee bit about that- what does that even mean?" Phoebe calmly asked, trying to make some sense of the whirlwind of theories popping into her brain.

"We are the Editors." Elise explained proudly. "We make sure that no one tries to change the stories from the original plots, or make sure they happen as the Fates want them to as they are being done. Zelda was chosen long ago to protect the Tapestry of Fate, but eventually we all were chosen as well- Lauren writes them down, I edit, Inigo scouts out the worlds, and Zelda leads us to them, she's our leader of sorts since she knows what's going to happen."

"The stories..." Phoebe began, she was trying to pick her next words carefully. "You need someone to introduce magic into the stories, don't you?"

Inigo nodded. "That's why we striked against Mickey the night you became Magic, Zelda got a vision that our newest member was chosen, and we need you to help us create the stories."

Phoebe sucked in a breath. "Am I supposed to be a fairy godmother or something?"

The three editors collectively laughed.

"No," Lauren spoke first. "Let's just say from what Zelda's said is that you're supposed to make the stories actually start. Like- like... um..."

"A chemical reaction?" Phoebe guessed. "I'm the delta."

"Yeah... Wait, delta?" Lauren asked.

Phoebe snorted. "Sorry it's just in chemistry when you're writing a chemical reaction, usually what catalyzes a reaction is heat. It's symbolized by a triangle, a Greek letter, which makes the system go to immediate entropy- or chaos if you prefer... Sorry I'm boring you," Phoebe quickly added, seeing the lost expressions on her friends.

"Oh, right," Inigo added. "A triangle is the alchemist's symbol for fire too."

"Huh, well now I know where that comes from," Phoebe admitted, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yes... Science..." Elise agreed, but really she was too confused to understand exactly what they were talking about, but at least Lauren had the same expression as her. "So kiddies... Did anyone actually program where we're supposed to go to next?"

All eyes immediately turned to Inigo.

"Would you believe me if I said: 'I had no idea?" '

All of the girl's groaned. Lauren went to the controls and started to randomly press buttons, making the ship get out of light speed. "Okay, Inigo, sit your butt right here and take us to... Any requests?"

Phoebe's eyes lit up. "Oh I've always wanted to-"

The winged girl could not finish as suddenly the entire ship was hit. The teens fell out of their chairs and landed on a heap on the ground.

"What on earth?" Elise cursed.

Lauren was the first to spring into action. "Crap... Inigo, get this ship flying, NOW!"

Inigo shakily stood up, with help from the smuggler. "Y-yes ma'am!"

"Phoebe, find a window, we need to figure out what hit us. It could've been a meteor or even another ship. Inigo are we even in Light Speed anymore?"

The winged girl nodded and ran down the cramped corridor.

Though not very small, the ship was the smallest they could find that could travel in space, this meant that windows were limited, but Phoebe decoded this was the perfect time to explore the ship, in case there was one.

Turning to the left, Phoebe found the hallway for the crew's quarters. One by one Phoebe stepped inside to find only a bed and a closet, but no windows. Reaching the last of the quarters, four in total, the winged girl was in complete shock when she found someone waiting for her.

The man had long dark hair that fell past his shoulders, but some of it was put back in a bun, and he was casually throwing a metal ball up and catching it, and repeating the process.

It was a thermal detonator.

Phoebe took one look at the small grenade and scoffed, she had seen enough of Star Wars to know what that circular orb in his hand was. "You'd kill yourself for the sake of us not escaping?"

The man shook his head, his Asian eyes crinkling into a leer as the ship was hit once more, causing Phoebe to nearly fall, but she caught herself by grabbing onto the bunks.

"Friends of yours?"

Once again the man shook his head.

"Great... Are you a bounty hunter or something?"

The man's voice emitted a language that Phoebe would never understand, had it not been for the Colors of the Wind.

"Something like that."

"Can we negotiate something?" Phoebe hopefully asked, she didn't want any more people to get hurt, and maybe a compromise could work.

"You are harboring three traitors on this ship: one defective storm trooper, a high-ranking officer, and a wanted assassin... And you, a Jedi- I don't think that's possible."

Phoebe remained silent.

"Not to mention there is a warrant for all four of yours arrest by a Queen of Naboo, and my crew is the first to reach you. Who knows the Guavian Death gang? A number of Mandalorian bounty hunters? Han Solo? We were just lucky to find you first, Jedi scum."

"Who said I'm a Jedi?" Phoebe questioned slowly, and unclasped the light saber from her leather belt.

The man chuckled, and that was when everything went black.

* * *

"You did not," Lauren looked at her with such disdain.

"I don't know..." Phoebe awkwardly murmured, from Lauren's left. "I just thought maybe if I'm a Jedi in this world then I'd have Jedi mind tricks." The winged girl tried to gesture with her hands, but the handcuffs they had placed on her and the cables around her torso kept her immobilized.

Elise, who was also tied on the opposite side of Phoebe around a pole they had been placed, released a squeal. "Well, that worked well didn't it?"

Phoebe's lips tightened. "Oops?"

Lauren sighed. "Crap, Phoebe, really? What happened after that?"

"Oh, I took out my light saber, and then he tazed me before I could even turn it on. Seriously, I have no idea why everybody keeps tazing me."

"Tell that to Kanjiklub..." Inigo exclaimed, he was directly behind Phoebe on the opposite side of the pole they were all tied to.

"Oh, just shut up," Phoebe snapped, turning her neck trying to look into his eyes to make him back off. "What did _y'all_ do?

Lauren rolled her eyes. _"You_ were a hostage, there wasn't anything we could do."

"Any ideas, then?" Phoebe quietly inquired, trying to change the subject.

"How about some magic, Phoebe?" Elise asked poignantly.

Phoebe felt herself start to sweat. "Uh, about that... These handcuffs are sapping me, if you get them off then maybe... Cuz I got nothing at the moment." She was the only one to receive handcuffs because she was the only Jedi and these blocked her Force abilities, but also her magic ones since she summoned her magic mainly through her hands. Maybe because it's iron properties, or something else... She had to test them out when she got home, but since the handcuffs seemed to fit one size fits all, her hands were nit completely immobile, maybe some soap would do the job.

Elise sighed. "Some Magic... I feel oppressed- Lauren fix it."

"Now that you mention it," the skipper started. "Have you noticed that the crew looks on edge? Like ever since they got us on this ship we've been in light speed, and they keep looking at their radar as if they're being followed."

"Do you think it's one of the girls?" Inigo asked.

"Maybe," Lauren guessed. "But I think the ship's about to get boarded."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Inigo muttered.

And as he spoke, the ship immediately stopped.

"Bingo. Inigo, have you cut off the ropes?"

"Yup."

"Good, everybody, find the nearest weapons and position yourselves for an attack, they're probably on the lower deck of the ship talking face to face," Lauren ordered, and as soon as the cables came loose around them the skipper ran to one of the two crew members that were guarding them.

Lauren jabbed him hard in the neck, making the man lose consciousness, and once retrieving his blaster she shot the other man squarely in his chest.

Elise searched through the unconscious man and found nothing but a couple smoke grenades and little capsules.

Inigo, on the other hand, had the unfortunate task of searching through the dead man, but seeing the look of guilt cross his face, Lauren stopped him.

"I got this," she whispered and handed him the blaster she retrieved from the unconscious man.

Phoebe watched with eyes wide open over the entire scene, she could not do anything with her hands locked, but either way she was too transfixed. Never had she seen someone die, and though new to the whole concept of the destructiveness of what death can do, she was both curious and suddenly depressed. How did Lauren take it so easily? And honestly, Phoebe hoped that she would never get used to death. To her killing someone didn't seem right, unless absolutely necessary, but was now necessary?

"Phoebe, come on," Elise called, gesturing her over with her hand in a graceful motion.

The winged girl nodded and followed the brunette behind a barrel.

"Guys, I think theirs gonna be a transfer of goods," Lauren exclaimed. "Those barrels could be the trade."

The ship though bigger than the craft they had just stolen, it was overly cramped with large metal barrels filled with acrid smelling substances, and there were boxes filled with what looked like large blasters and other grenades like the one Elise had found off of the man that lay unconscious from them.

Phoebe briefly peaked over her shoulder to see Inigo peaking behind a crate, but Lauren remained over the body of the dead man. Yet before the winged girl could see what Lauren was doing, Elise squealed, drawing her attention away.

"What is it?" Phoebe whispered.

"I got a spot on my impeccable suit!"

Phoebe gave her an annoyed glare.

"What?" Elise inquired. "Is it something I said?"

"Not at all," Phoebe lightly quipped.

The two teens fell into an uncompromised silence and watched as two more members of Kanjiklub ran across the hallway.

"Are they running to the gate?"

"I don't know... But wait, what if we sneak onto the other ship? While Kanjiklub is busy we could sneak into the barrels and when nobody notices we'll get out and we can take them down one by one and take another ship."

Elise beamed at her, but before she could say anything, Lauren came behind them and put her arms around them and nudged the girls away and dumped the contents of the barrel

"Clever, we'll try that," Lauren exclaimed, and gestured for Phoebe to enter. "I'll pass for the guard we downed, and I'll get you on board safely before I sneak in myself."

With her three friends in separate barrels, Lauren acted casual, holding the blaster from the man that she had just killed, she had hidden his body for the time being, but now she was left to wait.

After a while a trio of red-armored guard came in and loaded up the barrels into a cart to take to their own ship. Not one of them gave her a second glance, but she followed them to their own ship under the false pretense that she wanted to help them unload- not stowaway.

Yet as she stepped foot onto the other ship, a sudden chill went up her spine.

"Oh... You little _git_..." The skipper turned around to find a hiding place, but he had already spotted her.

"So, Lauren," a pale man with a Scottish accent started, a large cannon blaster in hand. "I didn't know Kanjiklub traded people. I was rather upset they had double crossed me when we opened them barrels, but now that I see _who_ is with them you four are worth it, old chum."

"Bala," Lauren sighed. "The Guavian Death Gang? Really, _that's_ what you did with your life?"

"Oh Lauren, stop, you black-hearted smuggler, you left me for dead what else could I do?"

"Get a cane?"

Bala Tik's face contorted in rage and fired his blaster, hitting Lauren in her leg before she could move out of the way. "That was for my leg," the young man exclaimed tapping his cyber kinetic leg.

Lauren winced and released a small screech, despite trying to hold back the pain as she fell to one knee. "Bastard... You tried to kidnap the Enchantress."

"Now, now, don't be rude we used to be friends, remember?" Bala Tik approached.

Lauren ripped off her eye patch revealing her eye, but it was not damaged at all like how she had told Phoebe, rather the once hazel eye now had a gold iris. "You tried to kill me."

Bala took a step back. "Y'know," the teen remarked, "Ye looking rather like ye mum now with that eye."

"The Enchantress is not my mom, and this eye is not from her..."

"Are ye to finish the job, then?" Bala asked, remembering when she had tried to kill him.

"No, it's not your time," Lauren smirked as she looked to the left and to her right and saw that she was surrounded by red body armored soldiers. "We can reschedule though, I think ten more years will be enough, but not by me I assure you... I'm a replacement if you catch my drift."

Bala gave a deep nod. "I do miss working with ye, Lauren, ye were the best."

"Still am, just got better partners," Lauren winked, and placed her eye patch over her gold eye.

"We'll see about that... Take her with the others, and handcuff her please, we have a professional bounty hunter on board, and the Queen won't appreciate being killed."

Lauren acquiesced to the glowing handcuffs that they placed around her wrists. She had experienced enough of the Guavian Death Gang in her youth to understand what they do to its drones. The former humans were given cyber kinetic prosthetics that made them much stronger than normal humans with their specialized hearts, and the members could not even feel pain since they were almost entirely robotic, it was just their minds that were kept human. Yet even then they had lost the power of speech and communicated telepathically.

"Bala you better not have hurt them," Lauren murmured.

Bala Tik smiled. "You know I wish you had this devotion to me when we were kids."

Lauren snorted. "Yeah, then I would be dead... Funny how the tables turned, huh?"

"What?"

Lauren closed her eye, as she was lead away. "You'll see..." she whispered, as something started to glow a bright gold through her shirt. "You'll see."

* * *

No one chose to speak in the darkened cell, Inigo with all his optimism could not find words to comfort them to what lead before them.

Lauren didn't seem to be bothered and had taken the chance to take a nap. She was physically drained, and she wanted to dream and forget, she was seeing too much, this, this thing... But no, her friends were first, she had to make sure they lived, maybe then her past could be rectified, and her demons would let her go in peace.

Phoebe felt the ship as it started to descend. She could not see anything since it was almost complete darkness except for the small blue lights from the buttons that were emitting the glow, and for the past three hours she was troubled by her thoughts. Not because of where she and her friends were headed to, but rather on what she was trying to come to terms with.

Magic.

That's what she was born to be, raised as a goddess in the world of Hercules. Now, fifteen years later, her destiny was not set in stone, rather it seemed like a whirlwind, unexpected like a rock when it breaks through the surface of a pond. Who knows how large the ripples could be, or even how small, but the peace that was once there no longer exists.

Rather it was remade, but would the fish underneath it let it bother them, or follow the new current and see where it takes them?

Struck with a sudden thought, Phoebe started playing with her handcuffs. They were not tight around her wrists, thanks to her small hands, maybe there was a way to remove them, if only she had some- wait.

"Elise, Inigo, do you see my hands in front of you?" Once she heard them weakly reply 'yes,' Phoebe smirked. "Good, spit on them."

Lauren was woken up by the landing, and heard only what Phoebe just said. "The heck did I miss?"

"Hurry, my hands are flexible, maybe with a little water I can slip them off."

"You think of this _now?"_ Elise whispered, worried that the guards outside the door would hear them.

Phoebe flashed her an apologetic smile. "Sorry... Just please spit ."

Lauren and Inigo took action and started to do as she said. Elise started to reluctantly help when Lauren lightly hit her on her arm, and with a frown on her face, the heiress complied.

Somewhere in the distance Phoebe could hear Drew's voice saying, "Suck it up buttercup."

The winged girl tried not to be squeamish, but it was her fault they even got captured for her second-rate plan, so she sucked up her disgust and let all three of them have at it.

After a full ten seconds of spit takes, Phoebe wiggled her wrists and with her foot placed between the hand cuffs as an extra force to rip off, only one hand slipped through.

Phoebe furiously started to wipe the saliva of her three friends all the while whispering, "Ew, ew, ew..."

"Hey, your idea not mine," Lauren reminded her friend.

Phoebe glowered at her. "Tell that to Kanjiklub."

"Yup, it's becoming a meme," Inigo muttered.

"Inigo," Elise slapped him with her cuffs. "We are not to test the limits of reality. You know how the author feels about fourth wall breaches."

"How is saying a me-"

The boy could not finish his sentence as the door of their prison opened, revealing Bala Tik, followed by five of the red-armored guards.

"Have a nice nap, laddies? Men, cover their heads, don't want to tempt them with a wee bit of freedom, eh?"

Phoebe slipped her hand back into the cuff, at least this time there was spit that would still remain and she could slip her hand out when she decided it was safe.

Then the four of them were led away, with one guard grabbing tightly onto their shoulders, but Lauren had two, a drone, and Bala, himself.

Phoebe's guard, pushed her forward, having her keep up with the rest of the group, but because of her smaller legs, the winged girl was the last in the group.

During the walk, Phoebe could see light peaking through the cloth, and only the sounds of side chatter kept the girl focused on what was ahead. Wriggling her wrists, Phoebe felt her hand slip out again, but before Phoebe could think of a spell she was rammed into the ground, on her knees.

Phoebe almost screamed, they caught her, frick, frick, frick...

"The Queen of Naboo!" bellowed a brazen male voice from somewhere in front of her.

Phoebe almost cried in relief, that was too lucky.

"Your Royal Majesty, the traitors of the Empire, as you requested," Bala Tik announced. "Oi, bags off!"

The girls and Inigo blinked rapidly, trying to have their eyes adjust to the lights, but when it did, all of them stared in shock.

The Queen, robed in a large gown of scarlet and gold was seated in a round throne, her blonde hair stylized in an intricate braid that wreathed her head like its own crown, but there was no mistaking who's face that was hidden underneath the white makeup and red dots over her cheeks.

"What the heck am I even looking at," Phoebe mumbled to herself

"Hun, you should see _me_ in a crown," Zelda smirked.

* * *

"Leia, you can't be serious," Han argued at the front of the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.

The former Princess of Alderaan turned back to give her husband a full view of her annoyed glare. "I'm sorry, I forgot _Chewie,_ was in this relationship too." Leia shared a glance with said wookie. "Sorry, Chewie, I just didn't think the Nerf herder would bring you along to our anniversary."

The wookie released a understanding roar.

"C'mon sweetheart, you won't even notice him..." Han leaned over and whispered, "Chewie go check on our shipment."

Leia overheard this exchange and cocked an eyebrow. "What shipment? Han you said this wasn't one of your smuggling raids I-"

Han halted her mid sentence with a wave of his hand. "It's not a shipment... It's... it's..."

Amid his hesitation Chewy released a loud roar.

Han's mouth fell open. _"Anniversary gift?!"_ Seeing that Chewy said something that would not get him in trouble the smuggler's expression fell into a coy grin. "That's right, your _gift_... Hey, look Naboo! Isn't that the planet your parents got married at?"

Leia sat up, suddenly interested. "Oh, yes... Is that where you're taking us?"

Han nodded slowly. "Yeeessss... Hey, Furball, land this thing."

* * *

Zelda remained eerily still, her hands crossed neatly in her lap giving her the appearance of the perfect picture of regality. When she landed in this world, with people decorating her face, and putting in her in a beautiful gown, she didn't mind- she embraced it. Being in jeans and an old cotton t-shirt got old, now she was wearing something she would never be able to afford, and did she love it.

Sure it was a little strange having people listen to her, but then again with her future vision, she managed to fool her advisors that she was the queen, and so far no one noticed that she was a fake. But now there was a problem, her friends were literally in front of them, and they needed rescuing.

What was a queen to do?

"The Guavian Death Gang, hmm? I've heard much talk of your exploits, but it looks like you do live up to your reputation... Bring that Jedi," Zelda coyly pointed at Phoebe. "I've heard talk of the wizards of old, but seeing one after so long... Remove her cuffs."

Bala raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Now, your Highness I wouldn't rec-"

"Silence," Zelda waved him off with a wave of her hand, rising to her feet. "You're men aren't scared of one Jedi, hmm?"

Bala Tik swallowed uneasily, but he nodded after a slight hesitation. Nodding his head, one of the red body armored men made his way toward the winged girl.

Phoebe bit her lip in anticipation, did Zelda know she had her hand free?

Slowly the guard kneeled down and started fiddling with the keys, but something struck Phoebe about this guard. Why were there brown strand sticking out of her helmet?

In one fluid motion, the guard put a finger to its belt and removed a tawny colored feather, while its other hand unlocked Phoebe's remaining hand.

Phoebe's eyes widened, but she said nothing.

The guard casually motioned for her to rise, but its fingers stuck out, like it was counting down.

Not wasting a second, Phoebe's hands were freed, and released a shower of blue sparks, raining down on the gathered crowd in shock.

The sparks did nothing, not even burn, but it was distraction enough for Tammy to whip off the red helmet and reassure the rest of the group that this was an escape.

"Tammy!" Zelda, Lauren, Inigo, and Elise exclaimed simultaneously.

The crowd started going wild at the sight of the prisoners trying to escape, and in response they started running to the nearest exit pushing aside anyone who got in their way, but most of their obstructions came from others like them and their large billowing robes.

The Royal guards simultaneously sprang into action from their positions around the room, ready to apprehend the winged girl, while Zelda was being taken away by two more guards.

Lauren with her cuffed hands pushed the member of the Guavian Death Gang at her side to the ground. Then the skipper tackled the guard that was dragging Elise away managing to grab his ankle, but Tammy lifted her blaster and aimed for the guard's neck, dropping the thin girl in the process.

"Phoebe," Tammy called, bringing the winged girl back to earth. "You get Zelda, I'll hold off the guards," the brunette ordered and threw Phoebe her light saber. "Inigo get the cuffs off for Lauren and Elise, reinforcements are coming."

Inigo started crawling away, as more shots were fired all the while he rifled through the guard's belt for the key. Once finding it the boy started to remove Elise's, but before he could start on Lauren, Bala grabbed her arm and flung the skipper away before she could react.

Lauren slid across the marble floor, her shoulder receiving most of the landing, but really her leg was still giving her the most pain.

"C'mon, Lauren just like old times," Bala mocked her, standing triumphantly over her.

"Okay, fine we'll do it your way!" Lauren yelled from her position on the floor, and grabbed him by the ankle of his non-cyber kinetic leg, and rammed her cuffed hands across his kneecap, making him fall down in pain. With his face now in distance, the skipper then slammed her hands again, but this time across the face, knocking him out in the process.

"Do you feel old yet, you twat?" she spat, and limped back to Inigo so her hands could be freed.

Zelda, meanwhile, struggled in the grip of her own Royal guard as they tried to take her to safety, but Phoebe, removed her robe and with her wings flew in front of the door they were trying to lead her out of.

Phoebe flared out her wings in warning, the light saber wielded tightly between her two hands threateningly.

The guards momentarily released Zelda and were about to attack Phoebe, but she lunged and using some of the techniques Lauren had just shown her a day earlier, the winged girl sliced the blasters in their hands like butter, and using her magic/force/whatever she slammed them to the side, knocking them unconscious.

"Are they okay?" Phoebe asked as soon as she had done that. Honestly she had no idea what thought in her mind crossed her head that made her slam the two guards to the other side of the room.

"Hun, you just defeated two grown men, take the victory and run."

Phoebe lifted an eyebrow in confusion, but she was soon distracted when she turned to hear Tammy's yell of distress.

"Hey guys! We. Need. To. GO!"

"They're here..." Zelda's voice sounded distant. " C'mon, Phoebe," the queen grabbed her arm, and with her other arm lifted up her long gown. "Let's get to the docks."

Phoebe ran with Zelda. She couldn't stop to catch her breath with Zelda's powerful grip leading her on toward the rest of their friends who were trying to hold off the oncoming guards.

"Guys, let's move it!" Zelda ordered, but she suddenly stopped as something flashed across her vision. "Lauren..."

At that same moment, Lauren slumped forward as a sharp pain erupted in her side.

Zelda lost her grip on Phoebe as she ran to help the skipper up. "Guys, she's shot!"

Inigo and Elise slid to Lauren's side, and tried to help her up, but she was too heavy for them. Tammy ran up and circled Lauren's arm around her neck so she could help move her.

But instead of paying attention to her fallen friend, Phoebe's attention was drawn to the fallen man who had shot her.

Before he could fire again at her gathered friends, Phoebe forced the blaster out of his hand with her magic.

Zelda suddenly removed the outrageously garish dress to reveal a comfortable set of purple breeches and a matching tunic. Now without her restraints she helped Tammy lift up Lauren.

"This way everyone, we're gonna have to steal a ship. Phoebe, Inigo give us some cover!" Zelda ordered, as she and Tammy tried to go faster despite the added weight of Lauren shared between them.

Phoebe was finally able to be useful with her light saber as she had to deflect the shots being fired at them. A part of her thought this was the coolest thing ever, but the thought of one of those shots hitting her friends?

Inigo tried to be helpful by using a blaster that he had picked up to try and hit some of the guards chasing them, but he was only aiming for the legs, but he stopped as soon as it became apparent that Phoebe's deflections were sometimes not the best and would nearly hit him, so he was on Phoebe watch.

"Hey, guys choose your ship!" Zelda brightly yelled back to Inigo and Phoebe.

"I don't care which ship," Inigo shouted. "Just get us out of here!"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "I thought you loved chase scenes."

"Not when I'm being shot at from both sides!" Inigo commented, gesturing to Phoebe's rusty light saber movements.

"Everyone's a critic," Phoebe mumbled, and tucked away her light saber as she finally beheld the twenty ships spread all about the perimeter.

"Um... Is that the millennium Falcon?" Tammy inquired, her face a giant question mark.

"I waANna ride dat shIIIP!" Lauren slurred, her side was not bleeding because the shot she received was like being burned, but just speaking made her side burn all the more.

"But that ship's a piece of garbage!" Inigo argued.

When all the girls gave him an annoyed glance, the boy just shrugged. "Hey, someone had to insult it."

"There they are! You, put up the shield!" One of the guards yelled, seeing the group of friends gathered at the foot of the Millennium Falcon, which was conveniently open.

Everyone's eyes widened, and all together, even Lauren exclaimed, "The garbage will do."

Running inside, Zelda and Tammy ran around searching for an empty place to lay Lauren down and try to take care of her wounds.

"Hey, Inigo get this thing in the air! We have to go pick up Drew!" Zelda yelled.

Said boy fumbled into the control room and stared around at the infamous cockpit, but he could not admire it for long as he spotted the force field being powered up.

"You know where Elise is?" Phoebe prodded, stepping into the quarters the two girls had laid down Lauren.

"Yes, don't be so surprised," Zelda calmly stated, rummaging for any medical supplies while Tammy started to check Lauren's wounds. "I made a warrant for your arrests if I didn't know where you were, Tammy and Drew just happened to be exactly where I predicted. Being a Queen is lovely you should really try it sometimes."

"Hey, I need a co-pilot! Elise's a gunner, but I need an extra pair of eyes."

Phoebe took one look at the two girls attending Lauren and ran to the sound of Inigo's voice.

"Throw these things on," Inigo ordered, throwing her a pair of headphones. "Elise is on the other end, and I want to hear what she's up to."

Phoebe nodded. "Yo, Elise, you there?"

"Yes indeedy, now get this filthy air into space, I just destroyed the controllers, so we should be clear of any force field keeping us in, bu-ut, the guards have resorted to chase us into space.

Phoebe bit her lip. "Inigo, we're clear, but get us out of here."

"Yes, Ms. Palomera," Inigo smiled, and after punching a few buttons and moving a gear shift, the ship was floating.

Slowly the ship started accelerating toward the exit, a stretch of open sky, but someone ran to the opening, someone waving his arms erratically, trying to stop the speeding ship.

But the man had to duck as the ship sped past him, anyway.

Inigo and Phoebe both shared a strange glance.

"Was that-" Inigo started.

"Nah..." Phoebe finished abruptly. "Just get us to light speed."

"Will do."

* * *

"So, Doc, what's the verdict?" Lauren asked, a little on the sleepy after everything her body had taken; even her newly acquired bat wings ached from being hidden all day long and were now spread out. From the hole in her calf muscle to the graze of a burn on her side, to her bruised shoulder, she wasn't doing that bad. After all she was used to the aches and pains inflicted from too much fun in the field.

Zelda smirked. "Hun, you know you are now number one on our protection list."

"Hey, you're fault not mine."

"Hun, you were the only one I could trust this with. The Fates wanted someone who could handle it a-"

"And I was the best candidate, I know..." Lauren finished, the girl fingered the new gold tattoo in the shape of a butterfly that had appeared soon after she received Zelda's bizarre request.

"But don't you think the god's would notice?"

Zelda snorted. "They never do, you know that, I know that- everyone knows that."

"Who was before me? Do they just pick random mortals?"

Zelda shook her head. "A full human wouldn't be able to handle this... But I did hear the previous host was a demigod of sorts."

"And his psyche?"

"Not entirely there." Zelda blatantly replied, and handed Lauren the dagger that had been hidden behind her back in a sheath underneath her shirt. They had to remove it when they bandaged her up. "But they said this helped?"

"Isn't that Phoebe's?"

Zelda shrugged, "I heard it fell from the sky, as daggers tend to do."

Lauren nodded as if this seemed completely logical, "Yeah, happened to me back in '85."

Zelda snorted. "I know, hun, I was there."

Lauren smirked, "Just checking... But seriously who was the last host? And why the hell did he stop?"

"Hey, I'm just the messenger, but it looks like the business _down under_ is taking a beating right now. It's like their MO is all scattered."

"Eh, Hades usually runs a tight ship, I don't see how the guy is slacking."

"Hey, maybe something's distracting the guy. He _is_ still a full time villain, but we might want to see what's up in the world of Hercules, we'd just have to rearrange the door that takes us out of this realm," Zelda added.

"Yeah, good idea- plus we can pick up the arrows for Valentine's Day. Phoebe's just gonna love our little tradition."

Zelda laughed. "True! Oh gosh she would be so excited. Yeah I like this plan, I mean we're already here picking up Drew and we'll then run on over to the door at-"

"Jakku," Lauren added.

"Yeah, that's the name, and we'll rearrange the coordinates of the door and be home free. Phoebe's out there now, we should be out flying in five."

"Good, now get out I wanna nap."

* * *

"Master Skywalker, it is an honor to finally meet you," Phoebe shyly stated, trying not to faint on the spot as she shook hands with the iconic protagonist from the original Star Wars trilogy.

"No, it is my pleasure to meet an apprentice in the ways of the Force."

"What?" Phoebe exclaimed, but as soon as she said that the girl realized what he meant. "Oh, these aren't mine, the clothes, the saber, nothing. Seriously, long story, but can I just take my sister and go?"

"Young Padawan it is not my decision that Drew goes with you, but up to her own volition."

"Hey she needs to come back to her world, my parents would literally die if I came home without her, Let me talk to her and we'll see, okay?"

"Of course," Luke slightly bowed. "As a student of the Force you have full reign across this academy."

"Sir I-"

"I sense your capabilities in the Force, even if it is not entirely the same, but it is quite similar."

Phoebe attempted a smile, but it came at a half-grin. "Thanks sir, you're not too far off, but give me like two minutes and I'll explain."

Luke nodded and watched her find her sister amid a group of younglings.

"Drew!" Phoebe called.

Her sister turned around in mild surprise. "Phoebe! What the heck are you wearing?"

The winged girl blushed. "I should ask the same thing about you. I see you got a new hairstyle..." Phoebe eyed the little bun that some of her sister's hair was gathered in.

"It's cool isn't it?! Rashida totally hooked me up with it and the new robes, but still no light saber..." Drew exclaimed forlornly.

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Sure... Well, say good-bye to your new pals, we gotta go home, the portal's about to close from the Sorcerer's Hat, and we'll be stuck for six months."

"Oh," Drew's eyes widened. "I didn't know there was a time limit."

"Yeah, just found out too, but if we stay here any longer who knows how much more damage we're gonna do."

"Damage?" Drew raised an eyebrow.

"Never mind that," Phoebe spat. "We can come back, kid, I just can't leave you here. You're my responsibility, and I... I'd kind of miss you." The winged girl quickly rushed out, hoping Drew wouldn't read too much into it.

But Drew caught it anyway. "Turd, I hate to break it to you but you've been so busy with the whole Magic thing that I've felt so left out. Can you just let me be happy now that I've found my peeps?"

Phoebe was taken aback at this. "You're serious? Dude, I had no idea, why didn't you say so? Kid, I can make it up to you, please just name it, and you got it." The winged girl desperately added, she of all people knew exactly how it felt being overlooked by a person who supposedly cared about you and she wanted to fix it immediately before that old wound would start to fester in her own sister.

"Let me live my life then, I can be a freaking Jedi, and a good one too, you already have your destiny, now let me have mine.

Phoebe remained silent, at a loss for words for once. "I-if this is how you really feel... I-I... I'll let you stay okay?! Just- just-"

The winged girl was soon silenced as her sister awkwardly patted her shoulder. "Don't cry, ya turd, just know that I'll be here if you need me, and who knows, I'll be able to fight the next time you see me, you're gonna need a bodyguard after all," Drew reminded her.

Phoebe smiled, blinking away any of the traitorous tears that were trying to escape her eyes. "Fine, but you better be freaking beast."

Drew bit her lip mockingly. "I'll be better."

"I know... Well good-bye then, kid?"

"Yeah, don't worry I'll be back. When you least expect it," Drew winked with both eyes.

Phoebe laughed. "I'll keep that in mind- see ya... It's been a real slice," the winged girl exclaimed and hugged her sister and quickly let her go before she could complain. Then walked away, trying very hard not to look back.

Luke was waiting for her when she got back. He said nothing at first, but regarded her with a face of understanding. "You and Leia share the same eyes... She looked at me the same way when she dropped off her boy."

Phoebe lifted her gaze to meet the Jedi Master's. "So they did reproduce. Kind of wondering who's emo kid that was."

"Phoebe, your sass can't always hide your pain."

"I can try," Phoebe miffed.

"So she's decided to stay I take it?"

"Yeah... You take care of her okay? I'm going to try and visit as much as possible- oh jeez my parents are gonna have a heart attack, everyone's gonna wonder where she is- literally I got nothing planned on what to tell my parents."

Luke chuckled. "That hasn't stopped you before, now has it?"

Phoebe glared at him. "Drew?"

"Drew," the man confirmed.

"Figures..." Phoebe sighed. "Well thanks for everything, Master Luke, I'll be ba- Drew what the heck?"

Drew had suddenly appeared at her sister's side, out of breath and her eyes wild with mischief and was that urgency? "We need to go."

"What?! I thought you wanted-"

Drew put both her hands on Phoebe's shoulders. "We need to _go. Right now."_ The girl's eyes whipped to the left, drawing the winged girl's attention behind her tall sister.

"Oh. Oh. Yes, good idea... Let's go sis... Bye Luke," Phoebe said hurriedly, dragging Drew by her Jedi robes, because she walked in the opposite direction. "Not that way."

Luke raised a curious eyebrow and wondered what were those two up to. Didn't Andromeda just say she wanted to stay? But after taking a quick glance at the padawans trying to practice their force abilities, he saw his nephew screaming bloody murder.

"She stole my light saber!"

From somewhere behind him, Luke could hear Phoebe screaming, "Start running the ship's behind the cliff! Inigo start the freaking ship!"

After a few short seconds, the Jedi Master watched his brother-in-law's ship take to the sky, and rocket out of the atmosphere. Luke sighed, "I should have given her a light saber when she asked."

* * *

Elise was plopped in one of the four seats of the cockpit when Phoebe and Drew ran in.

Inigo was having fun reading the user's manual and taking notes of all operation of the Millennium Falcon when Drew started to scream at him to get the ship moving, which he did immediately after Drew stole his notes.

"What's got her in a tizzy?" Elise lightly asked, sitting upright in her chair.

"She stole some kid's light saber, and he's out there chasing us, so if we could get out of here that would be great."

Zelda walked in as the Falcon took to light speed. "Whoa, Drew, loving the hair, and nice light saber!"

"I know right, I stole it from a kid, it's green and has some weird handles... OH MY GOD, I LEFT BB-2! YOU GO BACK!"

"It's Inigo..." said boy muttered, under his breath.

"Drew you had a droid? How? What?" Phoebe prodded.

"Yeah, he was my precious cinnamon roll and I want him back!"

Zelda's mouth bunched together, "Hun, we only got enough time to recalibrate the door and leave this realm."

Drew rolled her eyes and pointed at Phoebe with a stern finger. "You owe me one... Now can anyone direct me to the kitchen? This girl's gotta eat."

"Oh, wait I need some food too!" Phoebe ran after her, suddenly thinking of Rey.

Once she was in what she guessed was the kitchen, Phoebe started to organize everything that she thought was food, and organized it into a nice little bag she found hidden in one of the quarters. This took her most of the flight to Jakku since Phoebe was a terrible organizer and had to ask Elise to do it for her since not everything fit, but somehow the heiress found a way.

Choosing to land in the middle of town, Inigo set the Falcon down in a ship parking lot, but Phoebe had an idea, and told him to wait before he did anything else with the ship. Taking Zelda with her, Phoebe and her searched the town until they found Rey surrounded by other scavengers like her, scrubbing away at some metal parts.

Rey did a double-take at the sight of Phoebe. "You're back?!"

Phoebe nodded and extended out the pack she had prepared her. "And I brought food. I'm the best kind of friend a girl can have."

The little scavenger still held an incredulous look, as if Phoebe was just another mirage the vast desert had conjured up like so many times before. "You came back..."

"Yup, you already said that, now get over here and give me a proper good-bye, I have to go."

Rey's face suddenly fell. "Oh, right... You're family needs you?"

A slow smile spread across Phoebe's face. "Yeah, but don't worry, I have a gift for you." Getting down on her knees so Phoebe was more at her eye level, the girl extended out her hand revealing a set of keys and placed them into Rey's hands.

"Here, I traded that piece of garbage we came in for a nice little vehicle. Oh, and sixty portions of food from that Unkar guy. That should last you a while r-"

Phoebe was cut off as Rey's arms encircled her neck so tightly that the winged girl at first thought she was being choked, but after processing what was happening Phoebe realized it was just a hug, and awkwardly hugged her back.

"Do you have to go?"

Phoebe sighed, and in a quiet voice muttered a small, "Yes." After a few seconds into the hug, the winged girl added. "But I'll try to visit... You just keep being good and living, alright?" Phoebe asked, pulling away from the hug so she could see Rey's face.

The little girl nodded, rubbing at her eyes.

"Cool beans, kid, well I'll see you around," Phoebe put her index and middle finger together and gave her a two fingered salute. Oh, how she wished she could take her with them, but her being in this realm was imperative. Zelda had told her the visions she had of Rey after they had taken off of Jakku, and if she was even ten percent right, the girl would be the one to awaken the Force.

After all, maybe the little magic Phoebe had given her would awaken when she was older? It almost made the winged girl wonder when exactly would it spark? It didn't awaken when the Imperial Star Destroyer was falling to the planet, maybe when she understood the power, yes, or she would just have to get a teacher.

* * *

"Okay, we need to go out in the desert," Zelda commanded her motley group. After leaving Rey with a new cart and food, the girls and Inigo were trying to figure out how to get to the supposed door that would take them back.

"Why don't we just fly?" Drew suggested.

"One problem, not all of us can fly," Lauren reminded her.

"But that doesn't mean Phoebe can't give out wings. I mean didn't she give Lauren wings by accident just yesterday?"

Elise popped up between the two and loudly exclaimed. "What an excellent idea, Drew. So, Phoebe you ready to give each of us a pair of handy-dandy wings?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "It doesn't work that way, I can't just point my fingers at you and say: Elise thou art worthy in the ways of men, come forth and join me on my merry adeventures as one of my worthy knights."

Everyone started chuckling at Phoebe's fake bravado, but almost immediately, Elise started to glow and before anyone could realize what was happening, the back of the thing girl's tunic ripped revealing two grey wings.

"Ow..." Elise mumbled, but she was too dazzled by her new wings to even complain. "Ooo, albatross wings, very nice, Phoebe, you have good taste."

Phoebe's face was a mixture of surprise, shock, and confusion. "What in the literal heck..."

Lauren laughed. "I bet you can't do that twice."

"Oh, you're on. Zelda, you up?"

The former queen laughed. "Finally!"

Then repeating the process with Zelda, the girl waited for a minute before the same blue glow started to surround the cowgirl. And bursting forth in all their glory, two blue wings fringed with black were extended for all the world to see.

"Blue Jay," Elise called out.

Zelda twirled about like a princess in a ball gown. "These are fantastic!"

Turning to the last two who didn't have wings, Phoebe was about to do her sister, but the girl stopped her.

"Don't give me wings, Fifi, it would be harder to hide two winged daughters than just one."

"You sure?"

"Eyup."

"Alrighty then, Inigo you're up."

The tall dark-skinned boy stood in front of her waiting for her to do her magic.

Flicking her wrist and reciting the same words, Phoebe watched as a pair of wings burst out of his white armor. The bright green plumage was streaked with red and yellow at the edges of the wings, giving his wings a look of a tropical bird.

"Oh, you got parrot wings," Elise muttered. "How quaint..."

"Well, we've got a problem now," Phoebe exclaimed. "None of you, but Tammy and I know how to fly, and it's not like you guys can fly all willy-nilly- No flying takes practice, perfection-"

"Psst, Phoebe," Drew whispered to her, "They've left you."

Phoebe looked to the sky and sucked in a breath. "Oh c'mon, flying is so not easy."

Elise chuckled from the sky, doing a loopy-loop. "Says the fish to the mighty eagle."

"I thought you said you were an albatross," Phoebe deadpanned.

"It was a metaphor."

Lauren though was the only one still on the ground, standing next to Phoebe and Drew.

"Calm down, Phoebe, I can't fly with my side like this," the skipper gestured to her bandaged side.

"Dangit, wait guys, y'all need to help carry these guys!"

Zelda huffed and tried to land, but she clumsily slipped on the shifting sands, landing on her bum. "That's fine," the cowgirl said, standing back up, brushing the sand off her purple tunic.

"Wait she's too heavy... You too Lauren."

"Wait," Drew shouted. "I still have that bag of Pixie Dust, Tink gave us."

"Problem solved then," Lauren agreed. "Okay, dust me."

After sprinkling the two, everyone took to the skies. Some, like Inigo and Elise were a bit shaky, but after flying for ten minutes they were getting the hang of it.

During that time, all of them were swapping the different stories each of them had experienced in this realm, laughing, reminiscing of the bizarre experiences each one had to offer.

Tammy retold how she was stuck on the Guavian Death Gang ship, and had to play along with their shady business deals, but she claimed it was what led her to find Zelda, who had sent a bounty with everyone's description, which allowed the sunburned girl to locate the rest of the squad and regroup.

"Oi, we're here," Zelda shouted, gaining everyone's attention.

"But there's nothing around here," Phoebe argued, "How do you know?"

Zelda smirked. "Future vision... Here a hero will be born."

"Fine," Phoebe conceded. "Just get us home."

"Oh, we're not going home," Lauren exclaimed.

"What?"

"Yeah, Zelda agreed. "We have to pay an old friend a visit, I just have to re-calibrate the door."

"What door?!"

Zelda snapped her fingers and suddenly an intricately carved door appeared out of nowhere. the many different runes on the door seemed to glow with a strange magic, but before she could see if she could understand any of them, Zelda reached for the runes and twisted them about, almost as if she was changing the coordinates.

Standing right next to Zelda, Phoebe found that she could not understand a single rune on the door. "Can you teach me how to read this?"

Zelda looked at her curiously, and quickly replied, "No. Why spoil the fun?"

"What does that mean?"

Zelda giggled. "Oh, hun, don't you know that spoilers are the worst?"

Phoebe deadpanned. "Fine."

Zelda stepped away as the door creaked open; now that she had finished twisting the runes to their new destination. Smiling sweetly at her companions the cowgirl asked, "Now, who'd like to go in first?"

* * *

 **A/N: I hope it was highlighted enough for everyone out there that the Jedi were the guys that kept the Empire from coming back. It was specifically stated in the beginning of the Force Awakens that without Luke's presence the First Order was able to rise, and then well you know.**

 **Like the way I made everything connect? Read anything you like?**

 **Also heads up, I have a belated Valentine's Day special next chapter. This chapter took way too long to write, but the chapter has already been outlined and I don't have the heart to drop the idea, sorry...**

 **As always fave, follow, review!**


	23. The Tragedy of Arrows

**Valentine's Day or: How to Make the Whole World Hate You Even More: (Volume I) Part 1**

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter centers around lots of plot points in the Hercules TV show, you do not need prior knowledge to understand what is going on, but many of the characters who appear/are referenced to are from the show. But if you wish, most of the chapter stems from the episode: Hercules and The Comedy of Arrows, which can be found on dailymotion. It can be quite funny, but sometimes the show does drag on, and honestly, I don't see how it connects with the movie, since Hades knows Hercules is alive, but hey, I'll work with what is given to me, and rearrange it in a way that works for this story. With that, most of the information I get from Hercules is from the show, so here's to the hardcore Hercules' fans.**

 **Also it is important to note I try to mix in real Greek myths with what Disney muddled up, so please no hate for what they did. I know Hercules should be Heracles, I know he is not the son of Hera, and I know Cupid should be called Eros in Greek myths, but I have to stay with the material. The series I will try to mix in the myth, like with Zeus' multiple love affairs and the unending drama, that Disney thankfully left out like marrying your niece, sister, etc.**

 **Also this will probably be more than two parts, you have been warned.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hercules, Disney, or any character associated with the company, show, etc. My characters, plot lines, and ideas are my own.**

* * *

 _"Open different doors. You may find a you that you never knew was yours." - Mary Poppins_

* * *

Since she was the newest initiate- not Drew of course, she was not age appropriate yet, Phoebe was the first one pushed through the door.

The door happened to be positioned in the sky, and since there was nothing to catch her, Phoebe just continued to fall.

Zelda, meanwhile had her ear to the door, hearing Phoebe's screams as she continued to fall, but she was quickly silenced after the cowgirl heard a giant splash.

"It's safe, guys! After you!"

"Aw, yes!" Tammy cheered and raced out, bringing her knees in like a cannonball.

Elise put her perfect nose into the air. "I am no mere commoner that flings myself out of-"

She was halted as Lauren grabbed her and jumped out with her, ignoring the awful pain in her side, while releasing a maniacal laugh.

Inigo soon followed, trying to use his wings to glide, but instead he glided into a tree.

Zelda remained where she was and looked behind her. "Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, your path is once again straight, dreams are being created, and magic flows beneath it all. Allow us safe travels back home, and we in return will make sure the stories we enter are not changed."

Then grabbing the door handle, Zelda hanged on for dear life as she closed the door and jumped. The blonde couldn't help release a string of laughter, feeling gravity pull her down, making her accelerate faster minus the air resistance, of course, until she made it to the ground where her bones would connect and shatter upon impact, a mere one percent chance of survival- one hundred if she used her wings... Brilliant idea actually.

Deciding to implement her idea before she got a one way ticket to the Underworld, Zelda extended out her wings and flapped them, to slow down her impact toward the earth, and as a result she landed next to the river Phoebe was currently sitting in.

Lauren and Elise had both landed safely since the skipper still had pixie dust and had made sure her companion landed safely. Both of them were dressed much differently than they had been in the world of Star Wars.

Lauren had traded her dark clothes for Amazonian garb, complete with a leather breastplate and skirt with a large shield covering her back with a sword and a quiver of arrows poking out from the back, both her wrists had braces on that were useful for any archer, a bow was held securely in her hand, and her shoes were now replaced with sandals that tied up to below her knees.

"Phoebe, please come out..." The skipper called.

Elise, dressed in a beautiful, modest navy chiton that had a silver ring around her neck keeping the dress in place was the epitome of the Greek Aristocracy. Her hair was in a tight pony tail with a matching headband, and wore a silver bracelet around her left arm, with loopy silver earrings. "C'mon Phoebe, we won't laugh at what you're wearing. I mean look at Inigo he's always worn pants."

"I'm kind of stuck in a tree at the moment!" The olive-skinned boy called, his green toga not helping him get down. "Help? Guys?"

"Anyway," Elise continued. "Phoebe, it can't be that ba-"

"I'm not complaining about the clothes," Phoebe spat, gesturing at the simple blue chiton she wore, and the way her hair was curled and did not disturb her face like it usually did because it was held back by a thin diadem. "I-I..." the winged girl stuttered, but seeing that her friends would notice eventually, the girl stood up and made her back face them, fluttering her now tiny wings.

Everyone's faces fell in roaring laughter.

"Phoebe, you look so adorable!" Elise squeed, followed by the echo of her friends making "awing noises."

"Y'know you might want to look at your own wings."

Everyone paused at this, but after the initial shock was gone, everyone turned to their own back, and found that their own wings had shrunk as well. Except for Drew, of course, who had no wings, leaving her with the last laugh.

"Aw, hell no," Lauren cursed. "Tiny bat wings? Really, Fates?!"

"Why, Lauren you're side looks healed," Elise commented.

"But my frigging wings aren't menacing anymore!"

Elise started to lightly pat Lauren's shoulder in mild sympathy. "There, there, at least the Fates allowed us to be reset."

"And I still got my light saber!" Drew cheered and whipped it out, turned it on, and proceeded to chop off a nearby tree branch.

Suddenly a scream permeated through the air, and in the tree's place stood a very ticked off Dryad. "You just chopped off my finger!"

Drew's face fell in horror, and backed away. "What the heck?!"

"Just look at me!" the Dryad screamed.

Zelda came up behind the Dryad and lightly waved at her. "Hi, yes, I'm an oracle... See-" Zelda gestured at her white robes and the orange chiton she wore underneath that had its own hood which she had pulled over her blonde hair that was put in a messy bun at the side of her head.

"-Oracle. Now please, my- my _friend_ is an Amazon in training... _and she_... She found that your wood was perfect for whittling arrows necessary for her upcoming hunt with Artemis, and didn't realize she had chopped off your finger."

"What do you mean I chopped her finger off?" Drew scoffed. "I can count ten from he-"

She was cut off as Zelda ran up to Drew and covered her mouth, and quickly asked, "You've heard of Artemis, right?"

The green-skinned maiden looked closely at Drew's loose curls and the similar dress she wore to Lauren's- except she had a simple gladius strapped to her side, and a leather choker. "I see... Well... Fingers do grow back, and I do have several."

"That's great, sorry again, she hasn't been to this part of the forest yet... By the way would you mind pointing us toward Cupid's place, we are kind of in a hurry."

The Dryad smiled, losing any animosity she might have felt toward the girls. "Of course, anything for a friend of Artemis. After all just three weeks ago she helped get rid of a pesky stag that kept scratching its antlers against my lovely bark, but he would be on that one cloud next to Mount Olympus, it spews pink fumes all the time, just five miles from here, you can't miss it."

"Oh, thank you so much..."

"Syrinx."

Zelda reciprocated the smile. "Syrinx. If you ever need anything, just ask for Cassandra, she's a friend of mine, we went to Oracle School back in the day."

The Dryad's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, I know Cassandra, she's one of Hercules' friends- monobrow? Visions? Snarky attitude?"

Zelda chuckled. "That's her."

"I just saw her at Prometheus Academy for a Dance Recital Hercules starred in."

Zelda's smile fell off her face, for once at a loss for words. "What?"

"What's wrong?" Syrinx pressed.

"Oh, nothing," Zelda brushed aside with a fake laugh. "I just forgot that my meeting with Cupid is very late. I'd love to sit and chat, but we have to go... Guys, move it, it's not wise to keep a god waiting."

"I'm sorry I kept y'all, well it was nice meeting y'all, buh-bye!" Syrinx waved, as the girls and Inigo started sprinting after Zelda as she screamed at them to fly.

Phoebe was the only one lagging, but waved at the Dryad, and started to fly away, the size of her wings no longer being a problem.

Syrinx stared back at her and couldn't help but put a finger on her chin. "Now where have I seen her?"

* * *

"Guys," Zelda rounded everyone in a fast-food restaurant, yes, even the Ancient Greeks had them.

The group had gone a day without eating, so Zelda had motioned to refuel, which all of them unanimously decided was the best approach before they did anything. They had decided on a public restaurant where no one would bat an eye at the motley crew that walked through the city.

"First thing on the agenda... Drew, fingers for Dryads mean branches for them, calm down." In response the girl made an "oh" face.

"Second, and most importantly, I may have misjudged the calculations."

Lauren choked on the lamb gyro she was eating. "But you never get mixed up!"

Zelda shrugged. "I know, but our usual perusal in the Sorcerer's Hat isn't so simple anymore..."

Everyone's faces turned to Phoebe who was scarfing a similar gyro down her throat.

Phoebe froze and looked at them worriedly. "Sorry...?

"Not your fault, hun- it's just for some reason we are not in the current timeline of Hercules like the coordinates I typed in, instead, we're back when Hercules was in high school."

"And you know this how?" Tammy spoke up for the first time.

"Excellent question. Syrinx just said there was a dance recital- since when would a big-time hero be in a dance recital in his old high school?"

"For kicks and giggles?" Drew suggested.

Phoebe poked Drew in her shoulder. "Don't start."

"Oh, I'm starting," Drew shot back.

Phoebe rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Zelda. "Would you mind testing this theory?"

"Well," Tammy started. "None of us can interact with Hercules, the guy's a demigod like all of us and he works for Mickey, who still has a bounty on our heads- not even mentioning the break-in we did to take the Hat?"

Zelda tapped her fingers in agitation. "You're right... Wait... We don't have to go up to Hercules... just see how he looks like. If he's thin, we're in the past- if he's buff and stuff- proper time line. All we need to do is-"

"Look Hercules is right there, "Phoebe said suddenly.

Everyone turned around to where she was pointing and immediately they all covered their faces, after they saw she was right.

Hercules looked so young, with his lanky, awkward frame, flanked by a girl with purple hair and a blue chiton, and a eccentric looking boy in a pale green toga.

"Well, that solves that," Tammy concluded. "So we're in the past, now what?"

Zelda sighed. "That means under any circumstances are we to be seen by anybody- especially gods."

"Aren't we going to see a god?" Phoebe pointed out.

"Yesss," Zelda admitted. "But love gods are the least of our worries, it's the bigger gods who we need to watch out for... Like the one that starts with a "Z."

"Oh," Everyone muttered simultaneously and all of them turned their bodies slightly away from the entrance so Hercules couldn't see their faces.

"So all we gotta do is find Cupid then leave. Sound like a deal?"

"Can we finish eating?" Lauren asked.

"No, starve."

When everyone looked at Zelda with disdain the girl spread her arms out in defense. "I'm kidding, go ahead, but then we go, but if we are in the wrong timeline, we need to stay away from as many people as possible. Especially notable characters in this realm. Who knows how bad we can screw things up here."

Cupid has by far been the strangest god, Phoebe had ever seen, and she's only met one other. While Hades was by far the most intimidating she had ever met, and the most annoying, this guy had to be the only one that disgusted her the most. From her experience watching Hercules, she had expected Cupid to be the thin magenta skinned god with large pinkish wings. But this thing...?

"Why, hello, there miss." The obese mustachioed lavender-skinned humanoid with a large Elvis-styled pink perm smiled kindly at her, almost unaware of the girl's discomfort. "I'm so glad you want to come join us, we always need more helping hands around here, you see with Spring just getting around-"

"Isn't it Spring all the time?" Phoebe interrupted him.

Cupid froze. "Oh, why you're right. Funny, I never thought of that. Up North, whenever we visit the Nordic gods they have a funny thing called: Winter, glad we'll never have it down here- Demeter will make sure of that."

Phoebe plastered a fake smile and nodded. "Yup... Absolutely nothing could make Spring go away... Especially not a dread lord of the dead... Yep..."

"Exactly," the god blinked, not even fazed by what Phoebe was implying. "Now, I see you already have wings- you a nymph? Or a godling? You're rather tall for a cherubim."

"Just a cherubim," Phoebe said quickly, remembering what Lauren told her to say. "Sub-set- mix- no idea, mom won't tell me, you know how the gods are."

Cupid groaned. "I know, mother dearest does _love_ love affairs."

"Yeah, quite the reputation back where I'm from."

"Ah, I bet... So what's your name kiddo?"

Phoebe hesitated and said the first thing that came to mind. "Aurora." The winged girl mentally groaned, why did she think of that name?

"Well, Aurora, let me direct you to the arrow making process, made by us of course." Cupid droned on explaining how the 'Love' Factory was run, from production to its usage. "Always look for the tell-tale signs of love, from hand-holding, kissing, spending two month's salary on a pretty rock..."

Phoebe continued to follow the obese god, trying not look at his oversized diaper. "Yo, by the way I don't have to wear a diaper, right?"

"Oh no, a simple white chiton will be fine. We just don't have that many developed cherubim, like yourself. I'm just glad all these new kids are starting to help out, especially from what happened a month ago with Hercules and Stretch. You know Zeus's boy and his crazy friend?"

Phoebe chose not to comment, and decided to nod, "Yeah, I've heard of them."

"Now here's your quiver and here's your bow. Do you know how to use them?"

Phoebe bit her lip as she slung the quiver on her back, the pink arrows all lined up perfectly with little hearts at the end of each one. "I'll try my best."

"Oh, good, your enthusiasm is gonna get you far, kiddo. Keep the faith, spread the love, and go have fun kid- it looks like I got more initiates."

* * *

Phoebe decided to go exploring after she waited quite a while for the rest of the group to go through their own tours. Zelda had decided it would be better if everyone went in one at a time, to distract the god and steal his arrows, or something, Phoebe wasn't paying attention anymore since really this job was something Elise and Lauren specialized in.

So, since she was the first one out, Phoebe went to go take a small flight around Olympia, the small town that was formed at the base of Mount Olympus. Now, she had been strictly warned by all of her friends, each of them three times, that no god must see her.

Since they were omniscient gods, they could tell when someone entered their realm, and usually, they were known to chase you down and give away information about their future selves. This was why Zelda and the Editors only accessed this realm to speak to the Fates, everyone else was dangerous. Especially after what happened with Poseidon.

Let's just say calling him Broseidon, lord of the broceans was not a good idea.

And that's how the feud began.

It really didn't help that Lauren was a sailor, but it was totally worth it.

Anyway, Phoebe wanted to use this as her time to relax for a second. Her life, up until her fifteenth birthday had been a fast-paced Hawaiian Rollercoaster ride of epic proportions, and honestly, being on the run did have its toll, especially to an introvert, who needed a nice amount of solitude to remain sane.

Finding a peaceful little garden that was probably part of a temple, or belonging to a high-ranking official, Phoebe glided in and found a shady tree next to a bubbling stream. The winged girl stretched her miniaturized wings and put her back against the tree, letting her mind relax, and her eyes shut, falling into a peaceful little nap.

* * *

" _Phoebe_ ," a weak voice whispered. " _Phoebe_ ," the motherly voice spoke with more strength.

The winged girl twitched in her sleep, but did not awaken, who was calling her? It seemed familiar.

 _"Phoebe... Oh, please don't look at me like that my little girl, I know it's not your name, but it will be for now."_

 _"We'll meet again, I promise, I don't know where, I don't know when, but I know we'll meet again, little Phoebe, little princess..."_

Phoebe's eyes shot open instantly. "What the heck?!"

The winged girl realized she was still alone, and took a deep breath. "Oh thank goodness..." Standing up to her full height, which wasn't all that tall, the girl scrunched her eyes, "Ugh, Mr. Sun go away..."

The sun had moved position since the last time she was awake, maybe a few hours had passed? Where were her friends? Oh Lord, what if they left without her?

But still, who was calling her? Yes, that question was nagging Phoebe the most.

"Just a dream," Phoebe told herself. "Just a dream," she repeated, trying to focus her mind on the present.

Suddenly, from somewhere up above her, she heard loud voices, those belonging to Lauren and Elise.

"Phoebe!"

"Hun! Where are you we have to go!"

Oh, Phoebe internally sighed in relief, that's who was calling her. "Yo, guys wait up!" The winged girl called, and took to the skies, her vision of the voice long gone from her mind.

* * *

After everyone had been located and regrouped, the Editors and Drew had one more place to stop if they wanted to leave the world of Hercules.

Now standing with her friends, Phoebe felt like screaming at Zelda.

"You mean to tell me, that your freakin' doors can only be found where heroes are born? And apparently that happens to be in the Underworld?!"

Zelda shrugged. "Sorry, Hercules became a true hero down in the Underworld when he gave his life up for Meg. It doesn't matter the timeline; that place is sacred in the hat."

Phoebe loudly groaned. "This is the one domain that I am literally crossing the line. _Hades_ is down there and if he sees me we can alter the future and he'll know _exactly_ how I'll look like and hunt me _down_."

Zelda's mouth opened in surprise. "Oh... Wow... Okay, new plan! Put on my cloak, Phoebe! Everyone cover your wings, Hades must not know what we are; the future is at stake!"

Phoebe accepted the cloak, grumbling under her breath about how life used to be so much simpler without friends.

Everyone else proceeded to tuck their wings either underneath their clothes, or hid it behind something they found lying around, thank goodness their wings were now much smaller.

Lauren came over and pulled the hood over Phoebe's entire face. "You'll be fine, just grab onto me and I'll lead you."

Tammy stopped her though. "Yo, you forget we need to fight off anything that tries to come out at us, and you're one of the best fighters. I mean, c'mon have you forgotten the dead with one drop of blood can come back to life? And Cerberus? He doesn't take too kindly to the living."

Lauren cursed under her breath. "Crap, you're right- Inigo, be Phoebe's guide."

The boy nodded and let Phoebe's hand slip around his arm.

Phoebe chose not to make a comment with her current situation. She was completely embarrassed that she was in this close proximity with someone, especially a guy, but the winged girl knew, Inigo was probably as uncomfortable as her.

"Elise," Zelda started. "You got the drachmas?"

"Yep, I got forty just like you asked. Sold a few sundials for it, but I got them."

"Good," Zelda smirked. "Charon's quite the greedy boatman, and he hates the living... So let's hope that we don't have to resort to plan B."

* * *

"What do you mean forty drachmas aren't enough?!" Elise screamed at the silent boatman.

While Charon wasn't always silent, he usually faked this it to make his living customers pay more than usual, since he knew how much fun it was to toy with frustration. But this was going insane, apparently their starting bid was forty, and they had nowhere to go but down since that was all they had, ruining the extra pay raise he was hoping for. Why didn't he take it?

"I demand to see your manager. I am shocked, mistreated, and above all oppressed. What kind of world am I living in where I cannot go visit my dead great-great-great grandfather," Elise continued her enraged tirade, speaking in what sounded like a rehearsed speech, which actually wasn't too far from the truth.

"I will have every god from Apollo to Zeus hear about this. Didn't you know I am a daughter of Athena, I demand opportunity, justice!"

"FINE!" Charon suddenly shouted, surprising everyone, even Elise. Phoebe had to peak from underneath her hood to see if that was actually Charon's voice.

"Get in my boat, don't even pay me. Just leave me alone!"

Elise recovered quickly and gave him a sweet smile. "Why, thank you, sir, I would expect nothing less," she praised, and sat down daintily on one of the benches.

Lauren rolled her eyes at her friend's behavior, knowing that even though Elise was good at heart, she still was known for nagging people's ears off.

Then everyone started to board the ferry, and thank the gods, it was able to fit all seven of them, plus Charon.

Phoebe was lead by the hand into the boat and sat down, wondering what she was missing. She felt the boat push off from the dock and was almost tempted to remove her hood, or take a peek, but she didn't want to risk it in this strange land, especially since she had made a deal with Hades preventing her from using magic in his realm.

Although Phoebe could not see, she could hear the moans of the dead. She felt herself scream in fright when something cold and slimy grabbed her hand.

Lauren was quick to react and with her sword she swung down trying to hit the shade as it tried to drag Phoebe into the Styx, and when the blade connected with the shade, it screeched like a bat and went away, but it was not alone.

Phoebe felt the boat rock underneath her, as more shades, angered by the show of aggression to one of their own, and in response the souls tried to knock the boat over.

"Now, you've done it," Charon cursed, as he tried to steady the boat.

"Guys, position yourselves around the edge of the boat," Phoebe heard Zelda order. "Whatever happens we stick together more monsters are coming, and Cerberus is among them, and he don't take kindly to the living, so weapons at the ready."

Phoebe felt the boat rock as everyone tried to move around the boat, but before she could try and lift her hood to see what was happening, Phoebe felt Zelda's hand wrap around her arm, and helped her to the front of the boat.

"Zelda, I can he-"

"Phoebe, you don't understand, if you are seen today," Zelda interrupted her. "... Let's just say you'll regret it."

Phoebe was stunned. "W-what?!"

"Phoebe," Lauren called from in front of her. "Trust her, she's never wrong about these things."

The winged girl clenched her fists in anxiety, but before she could argue the girl tried to lift her arms, but she found that her hands were tied together around a metal bar, in front of her- the helm?

Phoebe struggled against her bindings. "Guys, what the frick?! When did you do this?!"

"Sorry," Lauren muttered. "We can't take any chances with you."

The boat started to rock more aggressively now, but Tammy and Zelda were quick to react and held down each side, trying to keep them topside, because one slight unbalance could lead everyone to take a permanent stay in the Underworld.

Cold hands, reached out, trying to climb on board, but Lauren and Drew positioned themselves at the front and back of the boat, one protecting the ferryman and the other protecting the three dependents.

But as they fought off more of the shades, hundreds started taking notice that there were living beings on the ferry, not the usual Lord of the Dead who brought fire, but beings that held fresh blood.

One drop of blood could mean a couple seconds of life, and escape from the doors of death, and they would do anything to live again.

The sudden onslaught of more souls made Inigo and Elise spring into action, grabbing Lauren's extra weapons to stall the onslaught of the shades.

Phoebe felt her wrists burn against her, as she tried to wiggle out, but Lauren knew with her earlier escapade with handcuffs that the girl could escape them so she made them extra tight, and she had even bonded the winged girl's binds to the front of the ship so she wouldn't be taken by the dead, so she was on her knees while Charon stood almost protectively over her. Phoebe could only feel his presence since his body, despite being only bones, somehow managed to produce a strange warmth.

"Lauren, I can help!" Phoebe argued, trying to get rid of her own restraints, even resorting to chewing them off.

"Nope! You're too important!"

"So are you," Phoebe shot back, but Lauren refused to reply, not even Elise said anything, and she was the one who usually supported the skipper.

"We're almost there!" Zelda called, trying to boost the morale of her group.

"Ladies, I hope you have a plan for Cerberus," Charon yelled back at his passengers.

The Editors and Drew remained immobile, suddenly remembering the guard dog of the Underworld. Phoebe stopped fighting her restraints, and felt the air get knocked out of her.

"The arrows!" Phoebe realized out loud.

"What?" Elise questioned.

"Wait," Inigo muttered. "That could work! Even immortal creatures have been known to be under the sway of Cupid's Arrows- remember Apollo and Daphne? This could work."

"Well, it better work," Tammy shouted from her position from the side of the boat, trying to keep it balanced. "He's thirty yards away!"

Lauren removed the quiver of love arrows she had stolen, and fingered each of the arrows, and loaded it up on her bow, starting to take aim.

Phoebe suddenly lurched in her seat as many of the souls, this time working as a team knocked the boat to the side, but Charon was quick and helped steady the boat by placing his oar on the opposite side.

In effect, though, Phoebe felt the hood slip off her head.

The winged girl's eyes widened in fear.

Everything around her from the darkened caverns to the faces of the pitiful dead, made the girl bite her lip, feeling suddenly terrified. the dead, they were everywhere, Oh thank goodness she was not alone, and surrounded by living friends, but her fear only intensified when she saw the other living creature on an island next to where they were headed.

Cerberus was easily one hundred feet tall, maybe more, and each of his heads were the size of an eighteen wheeler, his eyes were pupil-less, only a deep vibrant red, that seemed to glow in the darkness, and every single pair of eyes were trained on the group as they headed past him. His sharp claws dug into the ground, anticipating the arrival of his next meal.

Yet before he could so much as bark at them, Lauren let her arrow fly.

Everyone on board started cheering, even Phoebe smiled as she saw the arrow fly, but something caught her eye, weren't love arrows supposed to be pink? So why was it green?

"Guys," Phoebe tried to get her friends attention, but they were too preoccupied focusing their attention on Cerberus.

Lauren continued to shoot arrow after arrow, but after the fifth one, a sudden change started to come over the creature, and when he blinked open all six of his eyes, a pair was fixed on Phoebe, another on Tammy, and another on Lauren.

"Uh oh," everyone simultaneously exclaimed, but after that everyone started to mutter either curses or prayers as Cerberus prepared to attack.

Phoebe's eyes gazed at the shore, just twenty yards away, they could jump with their wings and reach the shores. "We need to fly!" Phoebe shouted.

Having heard the small female's shout, the ferryman released raucous laughter, but immediately stopped as one of Cerberus' huge paws came barreling down toward the boat. Instincts that he had honed in the centuries of ferrying the souls, Charon managed to push the boat away before the monster crushed the boat, but in effect, they were pushed farther away from their intended destination.

"It's not safe," the ferryman's dry voice rasped. "A mortal cannot pass without there being a price, and we can no longer pass thanks to your _loathe_ arrows."

Zelda's lips scrunched together in thought. "What do you mean loathe arrows?"

Charon sighed. "The imps created loathe arrows, one of Hades' plots, y'know. I heard it wasn't that hard to produce, just the opposite of love right?"

"Wait, why would Hades try to stop love from happening?" Elise asked.

Charon snorted. "Cuz down here no love means no life and that means more business for Hades."

Zelda's eyes widened as she came to a realization. "So what you're saying- actually let's say _if_ Death touched those love arrows they would, I don't know... Become loathe arrows?"

"Sure, why not."

Phoebe watched in curiosity the look that Lauren and Zelda were sharing, but both of them said nothing.

"So will it be the shades or the dog?" Inigo whispered.

Phoebe craned her neck to him. "Yeah, what now?"

Everyone turned to look at each other's face, almost as if it was the last time they would ever gaze at each other, alive.

Then without warning, Lauren cut Phoebe's bindings off.

"Lead the way, hun."

Phoebe's mouth fell open in shock, but quickly closed it, and nodded her head.

"Take off in pairs, use each other as a distraction. Zelda you go first, you can open the door."

Not needing anymore encouragement, everyone started shedding their wings and took off to the shore in pairs: First Zelda and Tammy with Drew held between them, then Elise and Lauren, leaving Inigo and Phoebe as the last ones on the boat.

"Bye, Charon, thanks for everything," Phoebe exclaimed, and made a motion to shake his hand, of which he was surprised to receive, and clasped her hand.

The skeleton smirked, as skeletons are known to do. No mortal had touched his hand for as long as he could remember. "You kid are crazy, but my boat will always be open to you- free of charge," the ferryman bowed.

Phoebe smiled, and threw off the white robe, revealing her pearly wings, "I'll hold you to it."

"Thank you for everything," Inigo politely said. Then seeing Phoebe signal him to fly, the boy extended out his wings and jumped. The boy stayed in one place, waiting for Phoebe to catch up, but that turned out to be his fatal mistake.

When Phoebe jumped the girl's foot was too close to the River Styx, and a hand went out and caught it. Since she was the shortest of the bunch, her jumps were subsequently much shorter than the others, and because of that, one of the shades had taken advantage of that.

Phoebe screamed in response, and tried to use the extra force of her wings to lift her higher, but this hand moved her closer and closer to Cerberus' little isle, almost like it was doing this intentionally.

Inigo saw this take place and before he knew what he was doing, the boy in a burst of speed, collided with Phoebe, pushing her out of the shade's tight grip, but in that same moment, one of Cerberus' heads came down and made a grab for him, thinking he was Phoebe.

Now that Phoebe was released, the winged girl, managed to grab her friend's hand and tried to speed them out of the way, but thanks to Phoebe's quick thinking Cerberus almost missed the boy completely.

All the force that was behind them, the two friends tumbled onto the shore of the Underworld. Phoebe felt Lauren's grip help her up, but before she could smile or even quip about what just happened, the winged girl's face contorted in horror.

Yes, Cerberus had _almost_ gotten the boy between his sharp teeth, but he did get a piece of him.

Inigo was unconscious now, thanks to the blood pouring out of the new hole in his back.

The hole where one of his wings used to be.

* * *

"What was that?!" Yen Sid shouted.

Mickey stood at his right, and looked over his shoulder to his old master, stopping his conversation with Donald.

The three of them had been starting the cleanup process of what remained of the throne room. Ever since Phoebe and the people she allied herself with failed to steal the Sorcerer's Hat, they were now left to fix the giant hole in the side of the castle.

Maleficent too was conversing silently with them, ever since she got her staff back she had been trying to explain her side of the story, and why she had appeared to stop Phoebe from stealing the Hat- which she actually succeeded in since the Sorcerer's Hat was still in the mouse's possession, so she was only let off with a warning and her staff was returned, but in a way she had also garnered some trust with her arch nemesis.

"How odd," the dark fairy lifted one of her angular eyebrows in suspicion.

"What'cha talking ab-" Mickey started, but stopped mid-sentence. "Oh... That's not good."

"What's going on here?!" Donald demanded, watching the three distant looks each of the sorcerers were exhibiting.

"Donald," Mickey lightly whispered, almost as if he was afraid to speak. "Sound the alarms, we need to alert the Council of Magic immediately."

"Wait, why?!"

"There is no Magic..." Yen Sid mumbled. The sorcerer flicked his wrist, trying to summon a spark, but after several attempts nothing happened.

Donald's eyes were the size of saucers. "What?! B-but how?! Mickey, you can't be serious."

"I wish I was..." The mouse continued to whisper, as he tried to do the same as Yen Sid, and just like the sorcerer, nothing happened.

Maleficent tapped her staff several times against the marble floor, trying to summon her usual barrage of purple sparks, but still with the same result.

"Wait," Yen Sid spoke up suddenly. "It's back...But how-"

Mickey, Maleficent, and Yen Sid's eyes immediately met, and simultaneously they exclaimed one name: "Phoebe."

"What is that girl up to..." Yen Sid felt himself hiss.

"Now, Yen Sid," Maleficent sternly shushed. "The magical imbalance was probably nothing- just an after effect of the girl jumping through worlds- and who knows maybe she stepped in a world with no magic, and that's why we could not produce any magic during that imbalance."

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Mickey argued.

"Well why not?" Donald's voice suddenly rose up, reminding everyone of his presence. "I mean if she loses her magic don't you _all_ lose your magic, since you know- she _is_ magic?"

The three magic-users stared dumbfounded at the duck.

"What?" the duck shrugged his shoulders. "It's just a guess."

"Well, she might be back," Yen Sid mused. "If she so much as dies who knows what will happen to us magic-users."

"It's amusing how the little bird seems to be so vital now, but she keeps slipping from your grasp, Yen Sid. You might want to consider a cage."

"And you a heart," Yen Sid spat. "Do not think that I believe your sudden care for the well-being of the Sorcerer's Hat is a wonderful performance- because it's not. Your bravado is slipping, and your plans with it."

Maleficent eyed Yen Sid, almost in a strange fascination. Then in a near quiet voice, only that he could hear, she said, "Then I hope it doesn't sound too much like yours." And with no warning the dark fairy disappeared in a blaze of green fire.

"Witch." Yen Sid hissed.

Sparing one final glance at his master and the bizarre hushed conversation between Yen Sid and Maleficent, Mickey turned toward Goofy who was currently leading the cleanup process. "Hey, Goof, I want you to drop whatever you're doing and do everything you can to find Phoebe, and bring her here."

Goofy's body stiffened as he was called into attention. "Sure, Mick, whatever you say, but like right now- now?"

Mickey's gloved hands slid down his face, "Ugh, yes."

"Well, why didn't you say so?"

Honestly, Mickey still wondered why he made Goofy of all people Captain of the guard.

* * *

Phoebe would have felt relief as the Editors and Drew saw the door fizzle into life in front of them, if it were not for their injured friend.

Even Elise and all her animosity towards Inigo seemed to have disappeared. Her only goal in mind was to get him to safety, and make sure she didn't faint from seeing all the blood.

Almost immediately as the door closed behind them, Phoebe's eyes were surprised how much light there seemed to be as everyone ran towards the door, and suddenly out in front of the Haunted Mansion.

Why was it this attraction, of all places, where the Sorcerer's Hat dropped them off?

"We're back..." Phoebe heard her sister whisper.

"We've been gone for five minutes," she heard Tammy mutter.

Drew was taken aback at the empty setting of the park, the only people who seemed to be out there were a few shimmering outlines of ghosts?!

"Lauren, what is going on? I thought we left the Underworld?" Phoebe questioned.

The skipper took a moment to glance around as she took in the new location. "Haunted Mansion, hun, this is their home- now quit staring Inigo's losing too much blood!"

Lauren's words shook Phoebe out of her daze and immediately the winged girl ran along with Lauren as Zelda, Tammy, and Elise carried Inigo's incapacitated body to the docks of the Liberty Bell, the large steam ship that sailed around Tom Sawyer's Island.

"Lauren, a boat, please. We need to transport him steadily, we can't afford to move his body around without any blood for a transfusion." Tammy ordered, as she inspected the wound, and pressed her jacket into his open wound, trying to stop the flow of blood.

Ever since everyone stepped out of the hat, the clothes that everyone had worn before they left their Realm was back to normal.

"I'm on it!" Lauren shouted, and jumped off the dock, and into the vegetation down below where one of Zelda's small skiffs were hidden. Rowing the boat out, Lauren helped Tammy and Zelda carry in Inigo, then proceeded to get another boat so the two of them would have enough space to take care of the boy.

Elise, Lauren, Drew, and Phoebe watched the boat sail away.

"So, that was the price Charon mentioned," Lauren said suddenly, drawing everyone's attention away from the river back to the skipper. The short-haired brunette had retrieved another skiff from the same hiding place, but it looked more worn-down.

"I guess so," Phoebe admitted, suddenly finding interest in the strange ripples that surrounded the boat, as everyone stepped on.

Was that a flash of silver?

"Hun, it wasn't your fault." Lauren's voice brought the winged girl's attention back to reality.

Phoebe snorted. "Sure... Just like it wasn't my fault that Cerberus now wants to kill us."

"Now, Phoebe," Elise started. "We didn't know the arrows were loathe, it happens when you feel negative and cynical towards love, or like Lauren who-"

"Any way," Lauren interrupted her. "I know how to make you feel better," the skipper smirked. "Inigo will be fine, Tammy's really good with wounds, and you are going to spend the night, okay?"

Phoebe sniffed, but nodded. "Fine, but we need to put up a force field or something, don't think Mickey will forget about what we tried to do."

Lauren and Elise smiled maniacally. "Oh, we have an idea on how to keep them out," the skipper mused.

"Speaking of which," Elise exclaimed. "Do you still have that spell book?"

"You mean Merlin's?" Phoebe inquired.

"One and the same."

"Whoa!" Drew suddenly shouted, reminding everyone of her presence.

"What is it?" Phoebe felt herself say, but Elise was already beside Drew.

"What do you see, Elise?" Lauren asked from the steering.

"Oh, just saw a mermaid. They're quite active at night."

Lauren's jaw set. "I'll try to speed up the boat, I don't want another boat to disappear. Elise the lights."

Phoebe's head shot up." Wait, another boat?"

"Yeah," Elise muttered with disdain, her back was turned from Phoebe as the girl turned on a powerful light at the front of the small skiff, leading the way towards the island. "Mermaids have a conniption against us all because we're all females and we're not under their sway."

"Don't you mean sirens?"

"Eh, mermaids, sirens, aquatic sentient beings- whatever. All the same," Elise spoke quickly.

"Don't mind them," Lauren exclaimed. "Honestly, they just keep to themselves as long as we don't mess with them. After all they keep the ghosts away, and they act as our guard dogs. If you hear them screaming that means someone is coming by water."

"And by air?"

"Well that's where you come in, right?" Elise cheekily smiled.

"Ah," was Phoebe's only reply.

* * *

What had transpired after that would certainly have raised some eyebrows.

Phoebe stood over a bubbling cauldron as she tried to make sense of the potion.

Immediately after the girls arrived on the island, everyone had scrambled to find the alchemist cook book and the vast array of materials to create such alchemical creations, or potions, if that's what you prefer.

So setting up the "laboratory," in the center of the fort, Phoebe had started to create a way to keep all unwanted people out. The potion, in question, that she was brewing was actually not that hard to create. It's just some ingredients were... bizarre, but then again: Magic.

"Okay, I got the leg of a frog, deadly night shade, eye of cat- Thanks Good King Snuggle Wumps," Phoebe exclaimed to the now one eyed Siamese cat, who meowed, as if to say it was nothing, the winged girl gave a rare smile and scratched the kitty under his chin, who purred in response.

"Okay, all we're missing is one eagle feather, a spark of magic, and three butter fingers."

Phoebe searched through the jars that Lauren and Elise had brought out for her. She didn't ask why they had these kind of ingredients, but she was planning to ask them later if the subject arose. "Ah, here it is," the winged girl muttered, and pulled out three butter fingers. "That's gross..." the girl muttered, allowing the fingers into the cauldron.

"Ow!" Phoebe suddenly shouted as she felt a sharp pain from her left wing.

"And one eagle feather," Elise chuckled, throwing the pearly feather into the pot.

Phoebe gave the heiress a deadpan look. "Can you not?"

"What? I was just being helpful," Elise's smooth voice rolled out.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, but didn't complain. "The potions done then. Elise, the hair, please."

Elise pulled out six strands of hair and dropped them into the bubbling purple potion, but after the strands were added, the color rapidly changed into a vibrant green.

King Snuggle-Wumps meowed.

"Yes, your majesty, assemble the troops," Elise exclaimed.

The cat jumped off of the barrel that was set for him, and scampered away, yowling to his fellow brethren.

"Do you speak cat or something?"

Elise laughed, looking behind Phoebe, watching all the cats making their way to them. "Oh, you..."

Phoebe stared at her. "I'm serious, like that's a pretty legitimate question."

"Now, Phoebe, let's not focus on the obvious, and focus on these furry paintbrushes."

Phoebe sighed. Why did she even try? "Fine, come here Squirrelflight." The winged girl picked up the ginger she-cat and placed her paws in the potion, and let her wander off.

Elise did the same, but with a different cat. Over and over, until Phoebe swore she had dunked the paws of over a hundred cats, they were done.

"Alright, Thunder Clan!" Phoebe shouted. "... Or would you be River Clan- whatever, go and mark the boundaries of the island, mark our territory, and such, and protect your clan."

The cats blankly stared at her, wondering why this human wasn't bowing down to them.

It was Elise's time to sigh. "Please?"

This for some reason, sprung the cats into action.

Phoebe smacked her hand against her face. "I'm done. I'm going home. Drew, we're leaving!"

"Wait, Phoebe!" Elise shouted, running after Phoebe. "Don't forget about Tuesday!"

Phoebe froze and turned around. "I'll be there, but you guys need to meet my mom, she's getting really suspicious of my new friends that I claim to hang out with."

Elise chuckled. "Alrightie then, it's a deal."

Phoebe waved good-bye to the girl and disappeared from Elise's view as she descended into the Underground Security Building.

King Snuggle Wumps lightly pawed Elise's leg.

"Yes?" Elise paused so she could try to make sense of King Snuggle Wumps' meows. "So Jack Sparrow is sneaking about?" Elise mused more to herself than to the one eyed cat, who was currently licking his paw. "Then what's the issue?"

"Elise..." Lauren called.

"Yes?- Oh my..." Elise stuttered, realizing what was trailing behind Lauren.

The skipper's grin was wide, giving her eyes such a wild glint. "I got Sparrow!"

"Captain, madame, captain." The dazed pirate exclaimed, but there seemed to be something off about him, especially his eyes.

"Um... Is that an animatronic?"

"Uh-huh," Lauren nodded with excitement. "And that's not even the best part."

"Well?" Elise expectantly probed.

"He knows where Pinocchio is going to strike next."


	24. Comedy of Arrows Part 2

**A Comedy of Arrows: Part Two**

* * *

 _Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7_

* * *

"No ma, I promise, I'm fine. Yeah, Drew's here with me. No, mom, there is no possible way we can be in Florida... Mom don't blame me- blame find my iPhone. Mom, I'm going to hang up now- Yes, of course I'll invite the girls over- it's just they have to get permission too. Mom please, I have to go. No, we're not getting into trouble. Ma, ma, ma, _porfavor_!" Phoebe sighed in exacerbation, as her mom started giving her another five minute lecture, all the while watching her friends snicker at her misfortune.

"Yes, mom, love you too. Bye!" Phoebe lightly grumbled, hanging up the phone.

When the winged girl looked up, she was unsurprised to see the wide grins of her friends. "The things I do for y'all."

"Aw, c'mon, hun," Lauren went in for a hug, but hesitated at the last second and settled for a simple pat. "We can't wait to meet your mom."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Phoebe muttered, dropping her bag onto her bed. "Now, please go over why you guys are so excited about today?"

"Well, Phoebe," Zelda started, leading the group of girls out of the underground rooms and into topside. "On Valentine's Day, the heroes leave the Parks to go explore your world. It only happens once a year, which is why all the villains get Halloween off too."

"Oh, yeah, I got kidnapped that day," Phoebe mused.

"See? Everyone gets a day off, but while the heroes are away, the villains and the sidekicks stay... Which means there is a whole day with _no heroes_ to save the day. Sure, the guards are here, but no one is smart or clever enough to stop us each year. And when the sidekicks or villains try to tell the heroes, let's just say no one believes them."

Phoebe nodded. "Ookay... So what _do_ y'all do?"

Zelda, Lauren, and Elise shared a malicious grin. For once, Tammy was not here to relish in the day's festivities because she had some tryouts for her school track team and would not be coming for at least a week as she tried to get her whole life settled.

"Glad you asked, Phoebe," Elise grinned. "But this year's going to be a little different."

"How so?"

"Well, we play matchmaker-"

Phoebe interrupted her, "You what?"

"We dress up as Cupid and spread the love!"

"What?! That's insane!"

"Oh, hush," Lauren interjected. "It only lasts for the day, we modify the arrows every year to make sure it only lasts for a day."

"Oh yeah? Phoebe scoffed. "How many years did _that_ take?"

"Silly Phoebe," Elise tsked, lightly patting her shoulder. "Asking questions that are difficult to answer, but wait there's more. We usually dress up as little winged angels, but this time we all have wings."

"Oh, that's good, no costume required then, right?"

"Not exactly," Zelda giggled.

* * *

"No," Phoebe stated. "I am not opening my eyes."

"C'mon, Fifi!" Her sister snickered. "You look _so_ cute."

With her eyes closed tight, Phoebe crossed her arms, "Dear Lord, what did y'all do to me?"

"Let it go, Phoebe we all have to wear this," Lauren's voice sounded from somewhere to the right of her.

"But why did I have to be first?"

"Because I said so," Elise fussed, putting something on Phoebe's head.

Phoebe proceeded to grumble to herself, but it momentarily subsided as she realized that Elise was no longer hovering around her.

"Done!" the thin Asian girl announced.

Cautiously, Phoebe slightly opened one of her eyes, and soon thereafter both of them opened wide, trying to fully capture everything she was seeing.

It was almost like she was back in the world of Hercules, but this time her dress was a short white chiton, and gold sandals that laced to half way up her calves. While that alone might've been perfectly fine, Elise had added a special touch that made Phoebe cringe.

"Heart stickers? You've got to be kidding me."

"No."

"Perfect," Phoebe deadpanned, twirling herself around in the full-length mirror, taking in the full onslaught of red and pink heart-shaped monstrosities that were littered across her body- even to her wings! "And is the halo really necessary?" Phoebe asked, taking off the headband that had a makeshift halo on top of two clear tubes.

"Of course! We're doing this together, and if I have to wear this god-awful costume then so do you," Lauren stated.

Phoebe turned away from her reflection to see that her friends were now dressed exactly like her, even from the little heart stickers. "Oh... Then I'm okay with this."

"Yay," Lauren cheered. "Now let's go check in on the prisoner, Inigo's almost done interrogating him."

Ever since Inigo's wing had been ripped off, or as we now call it the "Cerberus Incident," he had been making a full recovery, but still with one wing less. So with his knowledge on "space" prosthetics, he had been trying to create and configure a new wing that would latch onto his back. Ever since the force field had been placed he had focused less on security. Mostly, because the field around the island appeared to work after seeing how even the birds were not able to enter. Yet even then, the force field needed to be replaced every four days, and the Editors were already low on ingredients in the first place.

On top of that, the capture of the Jack Sparrow animatronic had in a way made the Editors break up the team, trying to balance their own security, searching for ingredients for the potion, and the fact that everyday ships were seen along the edge of the island. Not just any ships, though, ships belonging to a one Donald Duck.

So far he had tried to navigate his way through the booby traps set by Lauren and Elise when they first joined the group, but thankfully, he had not been able to get through just yet. Still, Donald was a persistent duck, and his growing rage was making him bolder with each failed attempt.

And an angered Donald Duck was like having an angered god hunt you down... At least that's what Elise said, Phoebe still didn't understand that story, but still everyone got very quiet when she brought it up at dinner last night.

"Inigo, how is the prisoner holding up?" Zelda asked, leading the group of girls into the prisons. The jail house was centered right where Fort Langhorn was, but it only made up a small corner in one of the towers, fit for only one prisoner.

"Oh, he's fine, I on the other hand can't stand him."

"Oi, it's your fault for not giving good entertainment," the Jack Sparrow animatronic shouted from inside his cell.

"You are a piece of scrap metal that was endowed with life; you are entertainment!" Inigo shot back.

"Dude, calm down," Lauren snapped. "He's getting on your circuits, when it's supposed to be the other way around!" The skipper pointed to his new bionic wing that was currently swaying back and forth, reacting to Inigo's emotions.

"Oh..." Inigo stammered, at a loss for words. "Sorry."

"You're fine, hun," Lauren coolie replied, as Inigo unlocked the door of the cell. Turning toward the animatronic, Lauren signaled Phoebe over, and gestured for her to sit in a stool inside the cell.

Phoebe shrugged, and made herself comfortable, a notepad in her hand taking notes of the movements of the animatronic that she found unusual.

"Oi, what sorcery ye writing down there, luv?"

Phoebe snickered, crossing out _I'm pretending to take down notes_ , "You'll see."

"Hm, I don't like her very much. Now you bonnie lass," the fake Jack Sparrow turned to Elise, who was peeking through the window. "How about a drink?"

Elise scoffed. "Unfortunately, we need you alive and alcohol would be the worst thing for your circuits."

Jack started to laugh, "I like this one. Now lass-"

The animatronic was cut-off mid-sentence as Lauren grabbed him by his shirt and threw him off the bed.

"Alright you want to be treated well, you gotta treat us with respect." Lauren snapped, and lifted him back up by the collar of his shirt, bringing his face close to hers. "I have respect for the real Jack and you're just some crummy animatronic that can be replaced- remember there's more than one."

"Ah, you see you're right there, luv, but I'm the only one you got as of now."

Lauren cocked an eyebrow, making her face almost unreadable like a mask. "Okay, you wanna play? Because that's fine with me!" Pulling out a dagger from her side, Lauren positioned the point in front of his face, giving the animatronic a few seconds for him to process what he was looking at.

Phoebe watched the scene with trepidation in her eyes. "Lauren, is that my dagger?"

"I'm borrowing it, hun," Lauren said quickly. Then turning back to the animatronic, the girl harshly whispered, "You know _exactly_ what this is don't you?"

The fake Jack Sparrow, nodded dumbly, for once caught in his own trap.

"Well, I know Pinocchio brought you to life- so why get on this island?! _Why?!"_

Jack said nothing, but his eyes were trained straight on Phoebe.

"Are you looking at me?" the winged girl inquired sharply, rising to her feet, her wings extending out, filling the small room with her wingspan.

"Luv, there is only one Magic girl on this island."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Well isn't that peach-"

The winged girl was cut off as she felt the stool underneath her shake violently, the fort as well, causing dust to fall from the ceiling. The sound of cannon fire was heard all around them, causing Lauren to let go of the animatronic.

Inigo blanched. "We're under attack... My gods...Cannons!" The boy dropped the keys, his hands shaking as he searched through his pockets, looking for the remote controller for some of the main defenses. "We don't even have all the defenses up."

Zelda sprang from her position outside the door, yelling into her walkie talkie for reinforcements. "I'll get my brothers!"

"I'll get the cats underground!" Elise shouted, calling for King Snuggle Wumps to gather his subjects.

Lauren cursed under her breath as she ran after her. "Phoebe, lock the cell!"

The winged girl found the discarded keys Inigo had left after he ran to the underground bunker. Bending to pick them up, Phoebe straightened and found the animatronic staring at her.

"Did you know that I was upgraded?"

"Excuse me?"

The fake Jack Sparrow cocked his head, almost as if he was analyzing her. "I've been upgraded," he repeated, but his voice was much lower and lost any trace of humor that he had shown earlier.

Phoebe locked the door quickly and took a step back. "Guys..." she called, something felt off.

Almost nothing could be heard as the sound of more cannon fire started to hit against the force field and the maniacal laughter of a duck. That was all drowned out for Phoebe as she heard a loud ticking sound coming from the animatronic in his cell.

"Oh frick-" was all Phoebe could mutter as she started running as fast and as far away as she could. She had barely made it out of the gates of Fort Langhorn before a loud explosion rocked the island once more, but this time from the inside.

Phoebe felt the force the explosion caused as she fell on her hands. Quickly rising to her feet, the winged girl turned around and watched as flames raked across the side of the fort.

"Phoebe, what did you do?!" Drew called from Superstitious Bridge.

The short girl put her hand underneath her chin, in contemplation of an idea, "Survive, I think."

"I meant the explosion! And what the heck are you doing standing around! Put out the flames- be useful!"

"I hear you," Phoebe murmured, not at all bothered with her sister's tone. No, instead all of her focus was trained on the fire, and how her body was shaking because of it.

"Are you okay?" Drew prodded, finally noticing Phoebe's reaction.

"Of course!" Phoebe lied. "C'mon we need to find the fire hose!"

Finding the water hose was the easy part.

Turning on the water spout had been less than successful because of the powerful force of water that was suddenly unleashed. Drew with all her strength could not hold down the hose as it flew out of her grasp, even with Phoebe's help it was no use.

Lauren just so happened to be running by them, carrying a long chain, for the cannons she assured us, and with her strength helped direct the water towards Fort Langhorn, saving a majority of the right side of the fort.

Thank goodness it had rained this morning. Actually it rained every morning... and sometimes in the afternoon... and even at night. Why is Florida so tropical?

Still, with most of the fort in working order- only one of the main defensive towers was out, the girls were able to keep a lookout to the present danger that Donald posed.

"My God, did he really have to bring a fully armed battalion?"

"Duh," Drew snorted, peeking through the small crack where a rifle was able to poke through. "It's just a reminder of the King's love, right?"

Phoebe snorted, but her face lost all trace of amusement as she turned her gaze back to the lone ship that remained stationary, some forty yards away. "Lauren, what are we gonna do? The force field lasts for another two days but the book never mentioned if it could be weakened."

"Hmm... Sounds like we need to get that Duck's attention somewhere else, huh?" Lauren started to smile wickedly, "Oh, this works perfectly."

"How so?" Phoebe interjected, giving the skipper an odd look.

Ignoring her, Lauren turned to Phoebe's sister. "Drew, do you know how to work a cannon?"

"No."

* * *

Turns out she did know how to use a cannon. Sure, it took like twenty minutes, fifteen of which was Phoebe screaming at Lauren for even thinking that her, and I quote: "No way will my precious little cinnamon roll of a sister learn how to blow holes in a ship!"

The last five minutes as you can imagine were then spent tying Phoebe down, and then actually teaching Drew how to fire a cannon. Turns out, she was a natural, comes from her mom she said, but Phoebe didn't understand her sentiment even though they had the same mother.

Then after letting Phoebe out, she had remained silent, giving Lauren and Drew her best death stare. The winged girl had calmed down after Lauren asked what had caused the fire, and that led to another, which eventually led the girls to evacuate into the Bunker where the rest of the Editors were hiding out in.

Now plans were being made on how to get rid of the duck, but there were other problems at hand.

"Look," Inigo started, leaning forward on his stool gesturing towards the small device in his hand. "I just took the measurements of the force field, and it's five percent weaker than the west side of the shield. In other words, Donald's continuous cannon fire is creating a hole."

"Five percent?" Phoebe repeated. "That's a lot smaller than I thought, considering all that force he's firing at us with."

"Well, think about it," Zelda exclaimed suddenly, a finger to her mouth as she contemplated the new information. "He's never fired cannons until today and from what I've seen, the cannons that Donald's using, they aren't so accurate. Maybe all these factors are contributing to why we don't have a hole yet."

"Hmm... They aren't Atlantean made cannons, but that doesn't mean the cannon balls aren't enchanted," Elise mused turning to Lauren, clearing her throat. "Also Lauren has an idea..."

All eyes turned to Lauren, her grin widening, "Let's go forward with our Valentine's Day special..."

"But we're under attack!" Inigo argued. "Look, even most of our defenses can't go up because we suddenly got a virus. It was detected yesterday, but I didn't know it was that serious until I tried to start up the obstacles for any boat to enter the harbor."

"Weren't they up yesterday?"

Inigo shook his head, "Yeah, that's what I thought... Y'know after we sank Donald's first five ships, but now something's up. Cy-bugs."

"Great," Phoebe cursed. "Now what? Security is being breached on two fronts: technologically and physically. Maybe we can delay the physical by talking to Donald and maybe making a truce. I'm sure Mickey doesn't want to hurt us- just hear things from our front. It's worth a shot," Phoebe added at the end, giving each of the members a hard stare.

"While that does seem plausible," Elise agreed. "But you forget, Donald is unrelentlessly firing cannons at us, and there are other ships dropping off more cannons- his nephews you know. He will not stop until the field falls," the flapper almost shouted, speaking from past experience.

"Wait," Phoebe exclaimed. "Donald's a hero right?"

"Yes," Zelda replied quickly, but she quickly caught on to what Phoebe might be implying. "So he's the only defense the Kingdom has right now... The only form of leadership-"

"Exactly," Phoebe declared, slamming her fist into the table the group was surrounding; an almost exact replica to Hades' just modified solely for the Disney Parks. "So we go forward with this ponzy scheme and distract the duck- he'll have to protect the people under his charge, and maybe we can reason with him when he's not on his second-home," Phoebe finished, referring to the duck's beloved boat.

Lauren smirked, nodding her head. "Clever girl... To the tunnels then?"

"No," Zelda interrupted, a mad glint of mischief in her baby blue eyes. "We fly."

* * *

Yes, they flew.

They included Elise, Lauren, Zelda, and Phoebe, or the Big Four as Inigo nicknamed them. The boy chose to stay behind as eyes, one because he wanted to watch any movements Donald might make, and two, because he still had fresh stitches that could reopen at the slightest action.

Drew stood behind as well because she was having too much fun with the cannon, and if the Big Four didn't come back in time, she and the army of cats would be the first line of defense, them and Zelda's several brothers and sisters.

So it all worked out.

Well, until Donald and his three nephews changed the direction of the cannons to the flying girls, then things did not turn out well. Like seriously, they could've died.

But no one is allowed to die at Disney World. Even Donald knew these sacred rules, so he intentionally fired the cannons to miss them. The Big Four didn't know this of course, and considered the whole plan a success. This in turn left Donald much more annoyed than before. He could practically sense their presumed victory, but he knew he let them escape because of his own dumb morals. Honestly, what had happened to him?

So as he watched the four teenage girls fly across the sky, all three heads of his nephews turned to look at him, wondering what mood swing Donald was currently experiencing.

Huey motioned to his brothers to remain quiet, and to hold their fire, but Donald immediately noticed them and bellowed in rage. "Why are you stopping?! Keep firing!"

"But, Uncle Donald, wasn't our real intention to get them out?" Dewey lightly prodded, stressfully pulling at the blue collar of his shirt, trying very calmly not to upset his uncle even further.

The internal battle inside Donald's head was evident on his face, his finger hanging in the air a moment away from either snapping at his nephew or for him to accept that Dewey was right.

Donald frowned and proceeded to groan. "I'm calling Mickey..."

His three nephews shared a knowing look. "Isn't he out today?" Huey asked. "You know like _we_ should have been doing?" he emphasized, earning nods from his brothers.

"I know," Donald snapped. "But I think all those phooey reports Goofy used to have every Valentine's Day might be true."

His three nephews snickered. "We knew that, we helped them about three Valentine's Day ago," Huey explained.

"You know that one year you grounded us," Louie reminded, speaking for the first time.

"WHAT?!" Donald practically bellowed, his entire head turning a bright shade of red, with eyes wide and his whole body twitching with rage, in a word the duck was ready to erupt.

The three nephews took this chance to jump overboard and leave their uncle to probably unleash his wrath upon the closest thing; which happened to be his boat.

With three identical little white duck heads appearing out of the water, the boys watched as their uncle laid waste to his own boat. First, went the floorboards- it was quite simple actually, all he did was rip them out and flipped them away as he continued to lay siege. Then there went the cannons, somehow he managed to lift them up and throw them overboard.

"Are we going to leave him?" Louie asked.

"Yeah," Huey spoke up. "He can take care of himself."

"Shouldn't we call Daisy though? She usually calms him down when he gets this bad."

Dewey shook his head. " She's out shopping, it's the only day she and Minnie can have a girl's night. And it's not like she's talking to him..." he spoke more softly at the last part, as if they did not need a reminder of the couple's current tiff.

"Oh," was Louie's only response.

Honestly all three of the boys felt the same when it came to Donald's relationship with Daisy, but the male duck was still debating popping the question. He had been for several years, but he had been too chicken, and on top of that he hated the fact that everyone was pressuring him to do it ever since Mickey and Minnie tied the knot back in the nineties when Disney started becoming popular again with Walt's death no longer keeping Mickey in such a depressed state.

But then again time did not work the same for the characters as the modern world did, a decade was like a year to them. The millions of fans they had gave them semi-immortality as a result of this.

"So, who wants to be the one to tell Scrooge that Donald broke another boat?" Louie absent-mindedly asked, eliciting horrified glances from his brothers. "Hey, just asking."

"Eh, I'll do it," Huey sighed. "But only cuz it's my turn. Now c'mon guys, drinks are on me at the House of Mouse."

The boys cheered and followed their brother swim to land. Louie momentarily lagged watching his uncle as the boat started to sink into the water. "Huey, Dewey, wait! I have an idea."

* * *

"Someone's following us," Lauren stated, her eye was closed, in deep thought. Her body was tense leaning against one of the pillars that separated Adventureland from Frontierland, a trait that was entirely unlike her.

"Probably Donald," Phoebe muttered without looking at anyone, her focus mainly at the quiver of arrows. "Guys, have y'all noticed that not all the arrow are green like we expected."

Zelda popped up behind her and picked one out. "Huh, you're right... Wait... Phoebe, grab it."

Phoebe cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing, she knew not to question Zelda's antics, and picked up the arrow. Almost immediately, the once pretty magenta heart-tipped arrow deformed and became bent, had several holes, and was now the color green.

"It's just as I've feared," Zelda gasped. "Phoebe doesn't believe in love."

"I'm a cynical fifteen year old. I thought it was obvious enough."

"Well, Lauren is too, so we don't blame you," Elise patted Phoebe on her shoulder.

"Aren't you cynical too?" Phoebe quipped.

Elise giggled, "No wonder your magic can be so spastic."

"You didn't answer my question."

Elise winked. "Like you don't know the answer."

Lauren laughed, uncrossing her arms, and opened her one eye. It seemed the other eye had yet to heal after a week. "Let it go, Phoebe. She's kidding... Now please be nice you're about to meet some old friends of ours."

Zelda popped up behind them, practically alight with happiness, she gestured, pushing forward three identical ducks. "It's the boys! Say hi, girls!"

Huey, Dewey, and Louie, dressed in red, blue, and green, respectively were easily the cutest little ducklings in the world. But as cute as they were, they were just as mischievous and would do anything if it meant such trickery was involved- if their intended target was their uncle that was just an added bonus.

"Hello," Phoebe muttered weakly, while Lauren and even Elise rushed up to them and picked them up in a tight hug.

"Oh, we've missed you boys so much!" Elise squealed, squeezing them all the more tightly.

"Where have you guys been?" Lauren spoke up. "We thought you would make it to last year's Valentine's Day, but y'all didn't."

"Aw shucks, we love playing pranks with you guys, but we didn't go because we promised Uncle Scrooge a tour of the real world-"

"It was his first time y'know," Dewey added, interrupting his brother Huey.

"Oh, well, at least this year we can go back to it, right boys?" Lauren inquired, a glint of fondness in her one hazel eye.

"Wait!" Phoebe shouted. "What about Donald? Did you guys forget he's trying to tear down the force field?"

"Nah, he's not doing that to break-in, he's trying to find some girl named Phoebe," Louie explained, staring curiously at the short winged girl. "Would you happen to know her?"

Phoebe put a hand to her chin and in a moment of feigned ignorance the girl replied, "Gee I don't know, she could still be on that isl-"

"Cut the crap, Phoebe, you're lying to a group of impressionable young children, jeez did your mom teach you any manners?" Lauren quipped, lightly slapping her shoulder, rather like a mother would to her rebellious child.

"Okay, fine I'm Phoebe," the girl sniffed, still rather annoyed at her own trick being undone. "But are you serious- all he wants to do is talk?"

"Yeah," Huey agreed. "He was sent to find you ever since the Blue Fairy disappeared."

"Wait- what?!" Phoebe and the rest of the girls echoed together in surprise. "Since when? Is Yen Sid okay? What about the hat is it safe?!"

"Yeah, yeah everyone's fine, hat too. It's just things don't seem right anymore- Yen Sid has disappeared looking for her along with a team of other sorcerers and only Mickey and Donald are the last good magic-users around here," Dewey explained. "But nobody knows except Mickey's personal council and now you guys, they've been trying to keep it hush-hush so the Kingdom doesn't go into a panic mode."

"And Maleficent? Did she escape after we you know created that giant hole in the throne room?" Zelda sheepishly prodded.

The three boys shared uneasy looks, "No, she's helping Mickey out."

Once again the girls erupted into shouts, two in different languages.

"I bet she's behind it," Phoebe stated, her voice full of conviction. "She tried to steal the Sorcerer's Hat when we tried to steal it- I don't even know how she got into the castle, much less the highest security vault in all of Disney-dom."

Lauren nodded, biting her lower lip in thought. "But wait why do all that? If she wants real power why work with her mortal enemy? Why not just go after Phoebe and take her Magic and bargain with Mickey for her safety? Sorry-" Lauren added, seeing the look her friend was giving her. "It's what I would do. You're kind of rather spastic and hard to find, right? Just go for the source, drain her then kill her, it's not that hard to implement."

"I'm really glad you're not a bad person, y'know- so glad," Phoebe smirked. "Like geez why are good people the best villains?"

"It's because they have no boundaries when it involves protecting their loved ones," Lauren winked.

 _"_ _Night will fall and drown the sun when a good man goes to war. Friendship dies and true love lies. Night will fall and the dark will rise when a good man goes to war. Demons run but count the cost; the battle's won but the child is lost_ ," Zelda murmured under her breath to no one in particular. "Sorry were you saying anything?"

Everyone continued to stare at Zelda quizzically, but after a few seconds everyone just shrugged, already used to her unpredictable nature.

"So what _are_ you boys up to?" Lauren asked, trying not to think about the ominous message behind Zelda's words.

"Oh, you know, getting on our Uncle Donald's tail feathers- nothing new," Huey shrugged.

Elise smirked. "Well, my little fellow birds of a feather, would you like to join us in distracting your uncle to celebrate Valentine's Day?"

"Way ahead of you," Louie grinned evilly, pulling out his own set of arrows. "We saved these babies just for the occasion."

His brothers did the same, revealing the normal pink heart-tipped arrows.

Phoebe lifted a curious eyebrow. "Wait, I thought we were just getting him away from the island so we could have a civil conversation?"

"Now where's the fun in that?" the triplets exclaimed in perfect unison.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "It's never simple in Disney is it?"

"Nope!" Everyone, excluding Phoebe, exclaimed.

"What fun is there in making sense..." Phoebe conceded

"Wait, idea!" Zelda announced.

"Great... Wait, where's the boys?" Phoebe asked, looking around bemusedly, wondering how they disappeared so quickly.

"Oh, they just wanted a head's start."

* * *

"Phoebe, do you have your target in sight?" Lauren's voice whispered through the ear piece they had given her after they had split up.

"Yes, but Lauren I don't feel morally obligated in taking part in this," Phoebe whispered back. Her bow was slack in her hand, but a loathe arrow was in her other hand, waiting for her to notch it in and fire. At least she knew about bow safety to actually operate it, thank goodness Zelda had given her a small lesson two days ago.

"Phoebe," Elise whispered, but her voice was right next to her. "I can do it, I told Lauren I would do it, but she thinks I can't fire a bow."

"Elise, don't you dare touch that bow, you know you can't even pull back the string," Lauren's static voice yelled back, making Phoebe wince.

"Oh pish posh, Phoebe can't either."

"Hey," Phoebe snapped. "Don't you start I can literally use my magic to make sure it hits the mark without firing a bow..."

"Then why do you have one?"

Phoebe's gaze suddenly found something particularly interesting with her shoes. "I'm... trying, okay?"

Elise giggled. "Sorry, didn't mean to judge, Inigo used to not be able to do as well but he did the same thing you're doing now, so it's progress!"

"Wait, target's in sight!" Zelda's voice sounded through the ear piece. She was currently in position with Lauren on the other side of the street where Elise and Phoebe were hiding. Even now, Phoebe could see Zelda's blonde head peaking from behind the sign for Peter Pan's Flight, but with the hundreds of tourists milling about paying attention to their rambunctious children or some kind of Cast member that came up to distract the bored guests, no one could see Phoebe and Elise hiding at the base of Rapunzel's tower.

With the binoculars held tightly with her hands, Elise was able to see anyone who might've been hiding from human eyes. "Ah, just like the boys said, there goes Lady Tremaine and her daughters for their afternoon walk. Shoot them now."

"Are you sure, what if they attack a Park guest?"

"Not to worry, the boys should be here any minute- look who's coming."

Using her enhanced eyes to see what Elise was pointing at, Phoebe couldn't help but grin seeing Gaston stomping around on his boots as he was trailed by three swooning blondes.

Twenty feet. A few feet more and the worlds of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella would collide.

"Ah, the Bimbettes. Even they need a little love," Phoebe mused.

"Too bad it's going to be hatred," Elise snapped, and set down her binoculars and made a two-fingered salute to Zelda.

"Now, Phoebe!"

Simultaneously, Lauren and Phoebe readied their bows, and using a little help from her magic to pull back her bowstring, the two of them released their arrows.

Lauren's shot was true, hitting Drizella straight in her back, pushing her to fall on her face. Not a second afterwards, the skipper shot again hitting Anastasia in the same spot as her sister, resulting in her falling as well.

Phoebe's shot was not as good as she liked, but she did hit someone. Not her intended target, but it was progress.

"You were supposed to hit Gaston not a Bimbette!" Elise practically squealed in dissatisfaction

"Hey at least I didn't hit a Park guest- don't you pull that lip with-"

"Oh no," both Phoebe and Elise muttered at the same time.

While the two girls were arguing, Lauren and Zelda were seeing the aftermath o f Phoebe's misfire.

"Change of plan, I guess," Zelda murmured, "Hit the rest of the Bimbettes, then. Make the fun triple."

"Yes, ma'am," Lauren muttered a bit too enthusiastically, and let two more arrows fly into the bums of the swooning Bimbettes.

"Uh-oh," Zelda nudged Lauren and pointed at Elise and Phoebe's horrified stares. "Do you think we did something wrong?"

"Aren't we the ones leading this operation?"

Zelda blanked. "Yes... Well this is fantastic..."

"Oh well, nothing bad is gonna happen right?"

If only she knew how wrong she was.

Now when it comes to arrows, it doesn't matter what emotion it will elicit, just know dear reader that the effects of getting shot by one of them could be quite lethal. For those around you. Not you, because you are merely the victim and will not remember the next day, but the first person that _you_ lay eyes on is in a word: screwed. And that's just with one person.

Imagine the chaos caused by say, I don't know, four people? Well that is exactly what happened.

Because as Drizella stood up after dusting themselves off, and rubbing her dark little eyes, it just so happened that she looked upon the eyes of a one Gaston.

Anastasia looked around confused, what just happened? Unlike Drizella she seemed perfectly fine after her contact with the arrows.

Now, mind you dear reader, I previously mentioned four, not one. Well as Fate would have it, when each of the Bimbettes were shot, Gaston had noticed that he was not surrounded by his usual groupies and had decided to turn around to see what had happened, and three pairs of green eyes matched with his blue.

History would remember this as the one day when the most notable single ladies of Disney banded together to find, torture, and hopefully maim the epitome of a misogynistic pig, AKA, Gaston.

History will _also_ remember this as the day that marked Valentine's Day as the most dangerous day in the Disney Parks. Ever since then, let's just say Valentine's Day has just gone downhill.

So when it was that Gaston felt every one of his heightened senses screaming at him to run away, he was puzzled. He had never felt this bad since... Well, when the Beast had him by the throat, dangling him over a huge abyss.

Yet instead of the Beast being here, he was surrounded by five very ticked off ladies. Each one with rage in their eyes. The likes of which he had seen many ravenous wolves have before they pounced. Still even with all the warning signs, Gaston hesitated. How could females hurt him? HIM?! Yes, he thought, he was having a long day. Probably drank a gallon too much of beer this morning. "Yes, nothing to fear," Gaston decided and made the unfortunate mistake of continuing to march forward.

That was when they pounced.

Four snarling ladies, with their freshly manicured nails dug their claws into his hardened muscles, one even sliding her nails down his back, ripping the shirt off his back, all the while shouting, "This is for all the times you ignored me!"

Luckily for Gaston, the brawny man had enough sense to realize that he was under attack, and rather sluggishly managed to knock off each female from his body: from the one biting into his calf, another his shoulder, another yanking his ponytail, and one on his back while the last one tried to claw off his face.

The step-sister and the Bimbettes fell in a pile together, and without wasting a single look, Gaston ran for dear life, not just his pride.

"Aw man," Huey shouted to his brothers, garnering their attention. "Gaston just ran away... The girls are gonna get mad."

"I'm sure they'll catch up to him," Dewey suggested.

"Or we can add more women trying to chase down Gaston, causing a bigger catastrophe, getting Uncle Donald away for enough time for the girls to chain him down and calm him down," Louie pointed out, with a shrug of his shoulders.

Huey and Dewey stared in awe and bewilderment at their youngest brother, wondering if this was really the triplet that was considered the laziest.

"It's just an idea," Louie raised his hands up in a defensive manner.

"A good one," Huey confirmed, raising his hand and giving his brother a high five.

"But we need more crazed victims," Louie muttered.

"Way ahead of you," Dewey exclaimed whipping out his phone and sending text messages to everyone on his contact list; which just so happened to be every being in the Realms who owned a phone, but excluding a certain uncle of theirs.

"Oh the girls are gonna love this!" Huey chirped in glee, putting his hands around his brother's shoulders, bringing them into a group hug. "I can just imagine their faces!"

* * *

"Oh. My. Gods," Phoebe's mouth hung open in silent horror, a shaking hand trembled over her lips.

Maybe just maybe, things had gone _too_ far.

"You know," Elise sounded, her head was bent down as she was taking notes in a small leather-bound journal she kept as she traveled the dimensions. "I had only heard of a situation that was just as bad as this because of a love potion, but wow hatred is interesting."

"Isn't it, though?" Zelda asked.

The four of them had given up trying to figure out exactly why everything had gone to hell in a hand basket, so they all got lawn chairs on top Splash Mountain, really difficult actually, but they managed using their wings and a wonderful thing called duct tape.

The view was spectacular from this high up, not only could the girls see (with the help of some binoculars) Donald still attacking the force field with a new ship and cannons, but also the giant crowd of people that had started to chase down Gaston.

And leading the way was a very ticked off Evil Queen, honestly no one could explain how she showed up, but after Disney World was nearly evacuated (yes, many of the guests had fled, noticing something was up) the five women had turned into a mob of fifty.

Fifty snarling women were chasing one man across the Magic Kingdom for a good-

"Hey, how long has this been going on?"

"Eh, like five minutes," Lauren answered, munching on a tub of popcorn she had bought for the special entertainment.

"Oh, cool beans, so how long until Donald gets word?"

Zelda was holding up three fingers.

"Aw man," Elise groaned. "I was hoping it would last longer."

"Hun, if this kept up for four more minutes, the _Park_ wouldn't have lasted," Lauren gestured to Toon Town, or where it had stood.

"Eh, they were planning to put a Circus theme land there anyway."

"That's true," Zelda nodded. "I had forgotten about that, they had to move the Dumbo ride somewhere ever since they created New Fantasyland."

Phoebe chose not to comment in this conversation as she was too enraptured with the chaos and destruction going on. From the fires that had appeared on every one of the houses to the flipped over concession stands that had also caught on fire. Honestly, the fires were really random, but when there is a mob of single women in Disney World, on Valentine's Day, no less, of course they got torches. Women are actually really resourceful, and it did kind of help that a majority of the women came from smoking areas around the Park, that was Huey's idea. They just provided a few sticks and boom- you got yourself a fully fledged mob. Courtesy of your favorite trio of nephews.

Who at the moment were calling their uncle.

Dewey and Louie stood by watching as Huey did the honors of telling Donald what had transpired in the past twenty minutes.

Donald, too distracted to even notice the pillar of smoke, was busily blasting his three barrel cannons. You see after he dismantled his last boat, he decided to bring in the big guns by coming back with his ship. The ones he used previously were just the Kingdom's ships, easily replaceable things, but because they were Mickey's ships that meant they had something called safety regulation and the least destructive cannons a person can find.

Darn the mouse, but Donald understood why considering what happened back in the pirate brigade of '01. That's why Jack Sparrow was on Disney's Most Watched List for the next four years, but how he got off is another story.

Now with his own boat, something he and the boys built with the kind generosity of Uncle Scrooge; it was a thing of sheer beauty. It's design was something he based off of the battleships he had sailed on back in his days when he served with the Navy, but instead of the normal tech used to steer the ship he had rigged its own steering so that someone could manually operate it, and with only two people required to man it, but an experienced sailor was able to handle the work of two men, like himself.

The work wasn't hard, just relaxing for the duck, and it dissipitated his anger. Now all that was left was his determination, and it did help that one could now see the shimmering dome-like force field that surrounded the island.

"Hehehe," Donald cackled softly, rubbing his hands together almost like a cliché villain. He couldn't help it, but he just loved it when he was finally winning.

Everything changed though once his phone started ringing.

Donald groaned when he pulled it out of his pocket and read the name. "What is it Huey?"

"Hey Uncle Donald... so you see the Park's not doing so well at this moment. Like we have a problem."

Donald's grip on the phone tightened. "What do you mean? Can't you and your brothers fix it?"

"Uh, Uncle Donald... Remember all those complaints Goofy gets every year while the heroes are out? Well I think we found the source."

"I'll be there in two minutes. Oh and you're all grounded. Don't think I never caught onto your connection with the kids on the island, Mickey told me. Yeah that's why I brought you boys today. Thanks for making my job easier." Donald curtly replied, hanging the phone, all the while hearing Huey shouting his name.

"What happened?" His brothers shouted as Huey removed the phone from the side of his head.

"He knows."

* * *

"Incoming stage left," Zelda muttered, suddenly.

Elise, Phoebe and Lauren turned to Tom Sawyer's Island, and watched a plane take off of the battle ship.

"Since when does he have a plane?" Elise snorted, handing the binoculars to Lauren.

"Probably took Launchpad's," Lauren mused, taking a handful of popcorn.

"True... Hmm, do you think we should move since he's coming straight towards us?" Phoebe inquired.

"Yeh."

The girl's took to the sky, spreading out their wings and did a nosedive, as a chase ensued.

Despite trying to lose him with the dive, Donald followed them, with his plane flying barely three feet from the ground, just like Phoebe and the girls.

"He's going to catch up to us!" Elise shouted, nearly squealing as the end of one of her wings grazed the propeller, making her fly with more urgency.

"That's the plan," Lauren shot back from the front of the group. "Okay, Phoebe, I'm coming with you. Zelda and Elise will set the trap, we just gotta bait him, kay?"

Phoebe nodded. "Cool beans. We'll circle around and then lead him to the mob right?"

"Yup, Elise has the antidote, we just let her set the trap we'll come back and be good. On your signal 'Zel."

"NOW!" Zelda shouted, springing the girls into action.

Phoebe and Lauren's wings angled, propelling them upward at an almost perfect perpendicular angle, leaving Donald stunned, but the moment ended, and the duck immediately changed his course, pulling on the steering, hard, as he tried to replicate the girl's move.

Phoebe and Lauren sped forward. These two were easily the fastest of the group when it came to parkouring while flying. Lauren because she was a fast learner, and Phoebe because it was something she did on a daily basis, and of course the thrill of a chase. Even if she was the hunted this time around, she still felt so much excitement, but it did help that she was trying to trick the drake.

Taking the lead, Phoebe led the plane towards Adventureland, passing Pirates of the Caribbean, the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, the Enchanted Tiki Room, the Jungle Cruise, and Swiss Family Robinson, then they were out of the dense jungle setting and back at the heart of the Park.

Cinderella Castle gleamed as the turrets reflected the sun's ray, making it hard to look at. The bushes of flowers were nearly in bloom, the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse shined as well, and so did the other smaller statues that littered the courtyard in front of the castle.

Still, Lauren and Phoebe flew on, not taking in the sights, even though Phoebe wanted to; a childish antic she had not grown out of yet, but they were nearing the predestined location: The Mad Tea Cups.

Even though they were still a good three hundred yards, away, Phoebe could see the mob. It was kind of hard to miss screaming people, green fire, other torches, and pitchforks.

"That's not good," Phoebe wheezed. She was running out of energy and fatigue was rearing his ugly head.

"Gods, Elise better have given them the antidote already," Lauren muttered.

"Not likely. Look-" Phoebe pointed at the large mob.

"Do you think?" Lauren hesitated, transfixed by the eerily still crowd.

"Yeah, Elise definitely sprinkled the wrong potion."

"Crap, wait is that Donald?"

* * *

"Elise, what did you do?!" Zelda practically shrieked as the mob's once hungry gazes suddenly turned confused as the pink dust settled into their eyes.

"That was not the antidote," Elise whispered to herself, then a little louder so Zelda could hear.

"What's gonna happen now?"

"THIS!"

Gaston erupted from his hiding place, no longer cowering behind a trash can. The beefy man waved his arms erratically, trying to get their attention, all the while ignoring the two girls who were trapped by the short wall separating them from the Mad Tea Cups and Gaston's hulking figure.

Zelda hesitated, her hand covering her mouth in deep thought no longer aware of anything but her thoughts. Elise soon joined her, slightly cowering behind her.

"AH-HA!" Donald shot forth from behind a bush, brandishing a cutlass and what looked like a magic wand in his other hand, but as he was about to land a blow on the girls, he stopped, realizing they were no longer the real threat anymore.

" _What did you two do?!"_ Donald rasped, standing in front of them ready to protect the two girls at all costs; regardless of all the trouble they had caused him.

"It's Elise's fault she switched the antidote with a love potion!"

"Hey- we are already being targeted, do not pin this all on me- you trusted me!"

"Well, what else was I supposed to do?!" Zelda screamed. "Not trust you?!"

"YES!"

"Will you two shut it?!" Donald interrupted their squabbling. "Of all the stinkin' people they could'a looked at.. It HAD to be that jerk!"

"Hey, we didn't plan this!" Zelda shot an accusatory glance at Elise, causing the girl to feign confusion.

"Then do you have any back-up plans on an antidote?!"

"Well, there is true love, right?" Elise guessed.

"For a hundred people?!"

"No, I think it's more along the lines of forty-eight, but-"

"DO YOU THINK I CARE?!" Donald bellowed, cutting off Zelda.

"Ugh, rude!" Zelda shouted back, but her face fell as she turned to the motionless mob in front of them.

"Why aren't they moving?" Elise stuttered.

Donald rolled his eyes. "Look at Gaston."

Gaston stood prominently before them, his back turned to them, but even then they could still hear his pompous voice. "Now, now ladies, I do not like any killings..."

"Didn't we spray him with love potion too?" Elise whispered.

Zelda was about to answer, but Phoebe and Lauren landed beside them, bows drawn and arrows at the ready.

Donald's mouth fell open at the sight of Phoebe, from the way she was dressed to the red and pink heart stickers decorating her body. "You are in _so_ much trouble right now."

Phoebe gulped and stood frozen, not knowing how to respond to her superior. "Um... Nice to see you too, Donald... Thanks for not killing my friends..."

"Hmph," Donald sounded, nodding his head. "They should be thankful, you on the other hand, missy, have got to explain to me what the heck you've done!" The drake turned his head away from Phoebe, checking on how the mob was doing with Gaston acting as their ring leader instead of their prey like earlier. Yet now their warm, loving gazes looked killer as Gaston pointed back at them.

"Just not now... Phoebe, you're Magic can't you do anything?!" Donald asked in desperation.

"Um... no, why?"

Donald slapped his face, letting his hand slowly slide down his face and bill. "Girls," he turned to the other three winged females. "You're in Disney what's the most powerful form of magic?"

"Watch it!" Lauren shouted and shot into the air, grabbing Elise's arm, pulling her up.

Zelda soon joined them, and not knowing what to do Phoebe grabbed Donald's hand and pulled him skyward as the girls took a few mighty flaps of their wings.

"Oh, that was a close one," the cowgirl interjected, smiling at her friends. "Seriously that could've gone a lot worse."

"Duck!" Elise shouted, pointing behind Zelda.

"He's right there," Zelda replied bluntly, not understanding the meaning at all, until a large tea cup collided with her, knocking her unconscious.

Lauren dived, letting go of Elise, confidant that the girl could fly on her own and managed to grab the back of Zelda's moccasin jacket before she could collide with the pavilion of the Mad Tea Cups.

"You okay, hun?" Lauren prodded, placing Zelda gently on top of the ride.

"Oh, head-rush. Thanks, hun," Zelda brightened, trying not to get Lauren overly motherly.

"You dork."

"But I think I'm going to sit this one out..."

"You do that," Lauren agreed, and signaled for the girls to fly over to her.

Phoebe gently placed Donald down and landed beside him. "So what were you saying?"

Donald rolled his eyes. "True love."

Phoebe stared at him quizzically. "Yeah, but none of these people have a true love that we know of- if they did the love potion wouldn't have worked."

Donald crossed his arms and gave her an infuriating look, something her parents had always given her whenever she was being too naive to realize how simple a solution was.

That was when it hit her. "Oh no... No freaking way-"

"It's the only way," Donald coyly grinned.

"But- but..."

"Wait, what's going on?" Elise prodded, sticking her head between Phoebe and Donald.

Phoebe groaned. "He wants me to find their true loves... Like some crummy fairy godmother."

"It's your job toots," Donald spat. "You're _Magic_ now do your freaking job and do _something_."

Phoebe stiffened and slowly her head began to nod. "Fine... I just wish there was an easier way to do this..." the girl grumbled.

Donald cackled. "I don't trust you that much, Phoebe, but you're a lot like me. You're committed to something but you're really bitter about it, simultaneously. I like it. So take it." The drake from one of his pockets revealed the Sorcerer's Hat. "I'm sure Mick won't mind you learning how to use it."

"Isn't it dangerously powerful?!"

"Yeah, but it helps with control _and_ it'll take less time."

Phoebe's eyebrows shot up in wonder, and steadily her hand reached out to grab it as if it was a wild animal, and slowly grabbed it. Expecting herself to be teleported, Phoebe was about to step into the hat before Donald stopped her.

"Today, you'll wear the hat. Now, go before I change my mind." Donald snapped. He secretly knew that this distraction would ruin the meeting Mickey had scheduled on Tuesday, but he had to let Phoebe learn from her mistakes- and fix them for herself. It was time for her to grow up. If she was expected to learn then damn it all, she was going to learn from her mistakes- even if her friends were the ones to get her into them.

Tentatively, Phoebe placed the hat on her head and the whole world disappeared.

* * *

Forty-five people.

Forty-five true loves to find.

And eighty-nine people she had to say good-bye to.

One was a mirror- go figure.

The rest were perfect

The events of the people's stories flitted across her memory as Phoebe waved good-bye to the last couple she had just united. Forty-five, the winged girl checked off, fixing the royal blue sorcerer's hat on her head.

Oh, being Magic was exhausting, but looking at the loving looks the couple were giving each other, Phoebe felt it was all worth it.

Even if it did take two weeks.

It made her wonder how her home was; her family: mom, dad, Drew, her friends: the Editors, and whatever Donald was to her now.

But she got the job done, and that's all that mattered. Today, she'd be going home.

* * *

Donald, Mickey, and Yen Sid stood watch over her in a large crystal ball.

"Donald, you did it!" Mickey cheered, tackling his best friend in a hug

"I know," the duck shrugged. "I just did the only thing you guys were scared of doing."

"Oh, I knew she was still good," Yen Sid genuinely smiled. "I thank you for the sake of the girl's conscience, Master duck."

"So, what now?" Donald asked, voicing the question that had been on everyone's minds.

"Now we invite her to the Council of Magic... To meet with Maleficent- our _new_ Council Leader." Mickey spat.

"Oh, forgot about that," Donald sighed. There always _is_ a downside to having kids learn their lessons, apparently.


	25. Divine Intervention

**Divine Intervention**

* * *

 _"Something very beautiful happens to people when their world has fallen apart: a humility, a nobility, a higher intelligence emerges at just the point when our knees hit the floor," - Marianne Williamson._

* * *

Phoebe stared around at her unfamiliar surroundings. Honestly, when she first went to take back the people under the effects of the love potion, a good majority of them were Park guests. All it took was to bring them back to their family for them to understand who they truly loved. Usually a family member like a spouse, or a child, or sibling, but there were instances, rare as it was, when they were in love with someone they weren't traveling with.

Those were the hardest.

What made the entire process difficult, though, was that she was unseen. Maybe it was the hat or the way her powers were reacting, but no matter what she did, no one was able to see her. Maybe it was a good thing, but it made those two weeks excruciatingly lonely. Still, she literally worked her magic and made random things happen in order for the ones still affected by the love potion to follow her to their true loves- something she still didn't understand how she could do, but Donald did say the most powerful form of magic was true love, so maybe it wasn't too hard to understand.

The worlds underneath her would then change as she concluded each person's story, finding herself surrounded by new people, both from her world and the ones of Disney. It made her wonder how much an effect her being magic would cause her world- who knows maybe it was leaking into her world, but what if it was already there and she didn't know it?

 _My the adventure of figuring out exactly how it all connected_ , Phoebe thought, waiting for the world to shift underneath her and change locations. Still nothing happened.

The winged girl removed the Sorcerer's Hat and inspected it. Where was the hum of power? Why wasn't it sending her home- she had completed her task. "Oh, work you stupid thing." Phoebe harshly whispered, shaking the hat like a floating fish you get from a dentistry for being a good patient.

"Great, one of Disney's most powerful objects and I broke it..."

"Broken? Or temporarily shut down?" An obese pink humanoid queried, atop a pink little cloud he splayed himself over; he almost looked relaxed if it wasn't for his tiny neck holding up that gigantic head of his.

"Aurora, you have some explaining to do," the mustachioed god exclaimed, freezing Phoebe to the spot. "If that _really_ is your name."

Cupid usually never ventured into other worlds, unless of course there was a serious conundrum like star-crossed lovers, or something serious like that one time in Troy- wow, that was _really_ bad. Lover's quarrels never turned to wars, but since it started with his mother's little matchmaking disaster, _he_ was the one left to clean it up- like usual.

But his reason for coming to this particular world was due to his present self, remembering the events of those six girls and boy stealing a bunch of arrows and never returning. So with his omnipotence he was able to trace them to investigate the occurrence; beings that this was the largest theft he had in all his millennia of work.

"Um... yeah... so..." Phoebe slowly drawled out, desperately trying not to fumble over her next choice of words. "Yeah, Aurora isn't my name. So do you need anything? I really am sorry about that fiasco..." the winged girl tried not to make eye contact, feeling the guilt for her earlier actions.

"Well now that you mention it," Cupid put his hand underneath his chin, giving his poor baby neck a rest. "My arrows, actually, and what you've done with them."

"Would you believe me if I told you we were trying to spread the love on _your_ holiday."

"Look, love may be blind, but it's not an idiot, so where are they?" Cupid crossly stated.

"They were all used up."

"So how were those poor people affected by that love potion?"

"Oh, that- I kinda wasn't there to understand all that," Phoebe admitted, shrugging.

"That was a love potion created by a fairy- primrose variety- incredibly dangerous to make, may I add, but even more dangerous when you use it," Cupid chuckled to himself as if it was a private joke.

"I kind of noticed when they threw a giant tea cup at my friend."

"Yep, couldn't have asked for any better punishment for your friends for trying to be sneaky."

Phoebe's mouth fell open in shock. "You switched it... It wasn't Elise- you did."

"Bingo."

" _Are you kidding me_?!" Phoebe nearly shouted, but she remembered she was in the presence of a god, who was at the moment quite ticked off by her thievery. "Sorry, it's just I never expected this from _you_ of all the gods- Hades yeah, but you- never."

"It's fine," Cupid drawled. "You're good. You've already taken care of mostly _my_ mess, so we're good here."

"Excuse me?" Phoebe blurted out.

"Oh, sorry, sorry, you're forgiven-"

"Phoebe," She finished.

"Right, Phoebe," Cupid said, snapping his fingers.

"Wait, aren't you mad? Want to curse my future love life or anything like that?" Phoebe demanded, trying to see why the god was suddenly so forgiving. It was almost frightening how moody this god was- maybe it had to do with his domain?

"Now why would I do a thing like that? I'm not my mother." Cupid scoffed with light venom towards his mother. "After all, love holds no records of wrongs, I was just curious...," Cupid added giving Phoebe a strange look. "How do I look?

Phoebe was taken aback at the question, but before she could answer, Cupid stopped her.

"Oh and kid remember, love rejoices in the truth."

Phoebe sighed, "Fine you look like a man-baby, with a pink Elvis perm."

Cupid gave the winged girl a knowing smile. "I thank you for the honesty, kid. Just remember I won't always look like this."

"What do you mean by that?"

Cupid shrugged beating his little wings as he started to ascend, "Maybe you'll figure it out the next time we meet. Oh, and by the way I _love_ your get-up."

Phoebe felt her cheeks redden in embarrassment and did not reply. Two weeks she had worn that stupid toga covered with pink and red sticker hearts- at this point she was wondering why she didn't smell or look gross for all those days without changing or anything, but then again magic.

"Don't look so glum, Phoebe, I'm being sincere because as you know-"

"Yeah, yeah, love is sincere," the girl finished for him.

"Actually, it's love is _not rude_ , but you're getting on the right track. See ya!" Cupid cheekily smiled and snapped his fingers, and before Phoebe could even mutter a good-bye the god had already transported her to her home of all places while her family was eating dinner.

The winged girl had enough sense to know what was happening when Cupid raised his meaty forearm, so she quickly hid her wings, and held her breath to prevent any scream to come out of her mouth.

So when it was that Phoebe was handed a large bowl of rice from her mother, the girl took a sigh of relief.

Drew tried to contain the double take at her sister's appearance. She was the only one in her family that noticed Phoebe's absence in those long two weeks of wondering where she had disappeared to, having the Editors pretending to be her with a little use of really bad impressions and using small memory spells from Donald Duck.

"Hey, Phoebe," Drew casually started a conversation, placing a large grin on her face that was unlike her. "I'm so glad you're sparing some of your time with that big _English project_ you're doing- the one about your _research essay_ of Disney World and the animatronics they employ..." her sister trailed off, trying very hard not to break her cover.

"Oh yeah... You wouldn't believe the amount of machines they use," Phoebe tried to play along, taking a slow sip of water, ignoring the bemused looks on her parents faces.

"And how much they look like real people that they can practically move around the parks if _given the command,"_ Drew emphasized, causing Phoebe to choke as the water slid down her throat.

"You don't say..." Phoebe coughed out, and cleared her throat as soon as her coughing fit was over. "Well it's a good thing my _partners_ will be able to help me smooth over the edges on the report with what they've gathered."

"So does that mean we'll finally be able to meet these friends of yours?" Phoebe's mom prodded, a hopeful grin was threatening to spread across her face.

"Yeah..." Phoebe half-whispered, somewhat out of fear for what was coming.

Drew noticed her sister's hesitation and was quick to react. "Hey, aren't they coming this Saturday?"

Phoebe mouthed her thanks over to her sister before turning to her parents and nodding. "Yup, this Saturday."

"YES!" Phoebe's mom cheered, bolting out of her chair in excitement. Her family watched in confusion as she started pacing across the kitchen. "I'll bake a cake, order some pizza, and oh! We can even have a little sleepover- so you girls can relax and umm... Work, on your project, yes?"

"Well, I have to first ask their permiss-"

"Yo, I coincidentally just got a text from all of them and they said they'll be able to make it- does six sound alright mom?" Drew cut off Phoebe, giving her a look that made the short girl eerily still.

"Wonderful!" Phoebe's mom beamed, giving her two daughters a look of hope? "I can't wait to meet your friends Phoebe, now hurry up and finish eating, girls. I need this house spotless by tomorrow!"

* * *

 **That Saturday**

After a long strenuous two hours of introducing Phoebe's mom to her new band of friends; sans Inigo (there would be no way that Phoebe's mom would allow a boy to sleepover).

When the girls arrived through the "boring way" as Zelda called it. She had tried unsuccessfully to come in through the window, but after Lauren stopped her from breaking the Palomera's windows, she came in through the door.

They had _really_ arrived an hour earlier to try and sort out the back stories and other introductions to make them seem less suspicious to Phoebe's parents, and Tammy thankfully brought a garbage bag full of clothes for Elise, Lauren, and Zelda to change into since they needed some clothes to fit into this world. The three of them usually never ventured into this world, but a meeting was to be held tonight. One for catching up on what transpired in those two weeks of Phoebe's absence and how problematic her missing the last Council of Magic turned out to be.

Now all five of them boarded themselves in Phoebe and Drew's shared bedroom, discussing away while enjoying the boxes of pizza Mrs. Palomera was kind enough to bring up. Sitting around the pizzas in a sort of ellipse, the girls either laid on their stomachs or sat with their legs crossed underneath them as story after story poured out of their mouths.

"What do you mean you stood trial before the Council? Shouldn't y'all have waited till I get back?" Phoebe inquired, a hint of annoyance underlying in her voice.

Lauren's one good eye was trained on Phoebe, in a way that almost made it seem like she was telling her, "Don't you think we did?"

"Yo don't blame us," Tammy drawled, looking up from the french braid she was making with Elise's hair. "We tried to convince the House of Mouse to wait, but with more than two weeks with you gone, we couldn't do much since you conveniently didn't have your phone, or if you were dead, or even something."

"Yeah, sorry about that I couldn't exactly go to the nearest phone to call y'all." Phoebe explained, exchanging glances with each of the girls. "The Hat made me stay within thirty feet of the person. It's like once Donald sent me off, the hat had a _mind of its own_. My magic was limited, my resources scarce, and I only had my short sword, which was kind of weird because it would only appear in certain worlds. Those few sparring lessons really helped Lauren..."

Drew rolled her eyes. "Like my Jedi training didn't help."

Phoebe couldn't stop the smile from spreading. "Yeah, it did... I don't even know _how_ we got people from different realms; that was _so_ random. The Evil Queen- now that was a fun one. Gosh, guards are the worst, especially angsty ravens."

"We could tell you things," Elise mused. "Maleficent's Diablo- ugh he was such an abominable creature ruining our beautiful presentation."

"Presen-"

Lauren's gaze stopped Phoebe from finishing.

"We had to come up with something to show what you've uncovered and to cover our butts on why you decided to side with us."

"Ah, how did Yen Sid react?"

"He wasn't even there," Zelda spoke, for the first time in a while. She had been sitting pensively, lost in a new vision that had made her tune out for a bit. "Practically half the Council was gone- no well, actually 48.5%, but all of them good magic users, and they make up seventy percent of the Council!"

"Wow... Where were they?"

"Who knows!" The blonde girl exclaimed dramatically. "But ugh, no one believed us on the Pinocchio debacle. Apparently we didn't bring _strong_ enough evidence that he had started up the animatronic apocalypse and how he's a part of the Donkey slave trade."

"Zel," Lauren snorted. "You know exactly _why_ our defense failed. All of us have committed a crime one way or another and that's a fact they can't glaze over. Even Inigo and his goody two-shoes."

"What did Mickey say?"

Elise burst out laughing. "We kind of owe him a ship load of treasure to pay for the damages we've done to the castle. Remember when we tried to steal the Sorcerer's Hat? Good times..."

"And you being absent didn't help our case," Lauren added. "Some of the Council members thought you were locked up back at the island. After all we have kind of created grudges with all of them."

"And worst of all," Drew nonchalantly quipped. "Pinocchio showed up too."

"The fudge you talking about?" Phoebe asked between bites of pizza.

All the girls remained silent.

Noticing that none of her friends were making eye contact with, Phoebe choked down her food so she could speak "You mean to tell me Pinocchio showed up all willy-nilly and none of y'all thought of telling me that first?!"

Elise put her hands up in defense. "Look we thought after a few rounds if laughter and merriment that you'd take the news better, but clearly that was not the case. Oops?" she shrugged.

Phoebe sighed. "It was bound to happen, he's been missing for what a month now? Any word on Gepetto?"

"Oh, puppet-boy brought Gepetto- in cat form... He kind of blamed you for that..." Drew noted, a gleam of mischief in her honey eyes. "It didn't help that I mentioned that I socked the guy, but whaddya do?"

Lauren half-smiled. "We know, Drew, I would've punched him too, but Phoebe," the skipper turned to her short friend. "He wasn't a real boy anymore- he was made of wood again."

"Huh? But how?"

Zelda shrugged. "We weren't the only ones surprised- he kind of made a grand entrance right as we started to bring forth our evidence, Diablo alerted everyone to his entrance, and he blamed us for everything and for us controlling you. Ending everything right there and we barely got out of there alive."

Phoebe's face fell in horror.

"Kidding!" Zelda giggled, before her expression turned somber once more. "But no seriously if it wasn't for there being a Council meeting, we would've been arrested."

"Good to know. Then anything else to report?" Phoebe prodded, feeling as if everyone had said their piece.

"We also apprehended the other two Jack Sparrows- the animatronic ones. Also we kind of had a problem with the Kamikaze goats of Big Thunder Mountain, but they were neutralized. Donald's nephews helped a lot with that," Zelda noted. "And we had a little problem with other pirates animatronics and lately Peter Pan. All of the problems used to be in Frontier and Adventureland, but it's like they're moving."

"You forgot Hollywood Studios," Elise reminded.

"But how does it all fit?!" Zelda questioned.

"Wasn't that one of the first problems, though?" Phoebe pointed out. "The alien could've been the first one. Pinocchio might've practiced on a lesser guarded Park to see how bringing them to life would work."

"And once he got confident he moved to the heart," Lauren surmised.

"But why Hollywood Studios?" Drew asked.

"Think about it," Tammy started. "EPCOT has an entrance to his world- maybe he didn't want his dad, Jiminy, or Blue finding out. Animal Kingdom doesn't have _nearly_ enough animatronics to work on, so where else but where the movie magic happens?"

Murmurs of agreement rippled across the girls. Still there seemed to be a lot of loose ends. What was he trying to achieve?

"Do y'all think Pinocchio is in league with the Villains?" Phoebe inquired.

"No doubt," Lauren replied quickly. "How else could he have figured out powers of animation that quickly?"

"True, so wait I have a question- how did Maleficent act throughout all this?"

"Eh, normal- thinks she's really suave and in control of things, but other than that she was honestly on her best behavior, but really she blamed Mr. Sassy Flames for everything," Elise explained.

"Hades?"

"Mhm," Lauren nodded, her eye closed in thought. "It was strange the accusations she made- even Pinocchio agreed, saying he had some dirt on Hades that he wished to bring up on the guy."

"Ugh, does he want to die?" Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"That's exactly what Hades said, but Pinocchio was all like: " 'Fine, I'll wait, Spring is still ways away. Maybe the Magic girl will have enough time to fix everything, and see what's really going on in the Underworld' - or something like that, I'm just paraphrasing," Lauren voiced, eyes still shut.

"Uh-oh," Drew smirked. "Hades' got a secret."

"Maybe he is behind all of this," Phoebe agreed. "Hades did show up at my school to try to deter me from my quest. So maybe he is Pinocchio's benefactor, but why would the kid act against his own master?"

"Didn't Meg?" Zelda inquired.

"That's a really good point, Sawyer," Tammy murmured, suddenly lost in her thoughts. "Wait! The Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom! Isn't Hades the villain mastermind behind stealing it?"

"Yeah so?"

" _So_ , maybe Hades _is_ after the crystal, but Pinocchio double-crossed him at the last moment. Godly powers over life and death- don't they sound familiar?" Tammy pressed. "Only one conclusion- Hades made a deal with Pinocchio- I don't know what for, but maybe he got a better offer from someone else- someone who has a personal vendetta against the Blue Fairy who is coincidentally missing as well as her wand."

"Maleficent!" Phoebe nearly shouted, suddenly conscious that her mom could probably hear them.

"A villain war is going on," Zelda gasped. "The two most powerful villains in all of Disney are battling over for control over the Kingdom so maybe this was one of their many exploits... Do you guys know what this means?!"

The girls shook their head, slowly, wondering where Zelda was going with this.

"Our keys, they all want the keys for some odd reason- maybe the Crystal is a weapon that can defeat anyone they turn it against and once they have it they can actually take over everything."

"But Hades is a god- what's stopping him?" Phoebe pointed out.

"All of the Heroes are sons of Zeus- children of the gods, all of whom stand behind Mickey like his own band of knights. Hades can't overthrow Mickey because he _has_ no demigod children, he has no champion unless he uses some mortal- Pinocchio- to challenge the throne. In other words, old flame head can't interfere with mortal pursuits, it's the Law of the Immortals. Maleficent shouldn't be bound to those same laws since she's not a god, she's just not powerful enough to fully stop a god's power... Conclusion: Maleficent wants the Crystal so she can be more powerful than Hades, but _Hades_ wants it so Maleficent won't able to overpower those that are bound to him."

"Why do I feel like there's more behind this?" Phoebe mumbled. "How do we even know that the Crystal is a weapon? I thought it just kept the characters inside the Parks."

"Well, I wonder, Phoebe," Elise drawled. "How many supporters would I get if I could control who goes in and out of the Kingdom?"

"Good point."

"Now, hold up!" Drew announced. Everyone looked expectantly to the wavy haired brunette. "You guys sound all smart and stuff on your theories and ideas, but you dorks keep forgetting we all thought he was working alone, and when I was there, y'all keep forgetting how Pinocchio ignored Maleficent the entire time- even though she was trying to back up his case, and everything that's he done has absolutely nothing to do with either of the villain's motives. Literally, they're all self motivated.."

"So?" everyone, sans Drew asked.

"So what if the little turd not only double-crossed Hades, but Maleficent too when he realized they weren't paying up?"

Everyone remained eerily silent after that. Only the sound of Mrs. Palomera's timer going off for the cupcakes she was baking, the beeping noise made everyone flinch into reality.

Drew, though, took this silence as a victory. "Case solved," she nodded. "Now we gotta catch that little turd before he gets whatever his twisted mind is after."

* * *

"I feel a disturbance in the force," Anthony suddenly exclaimed. His head shooting up, making him sit erect in his chair, his eyes wide, and his hair sparking.

Hades looked over to where his son sat on the desk he had placed in his throne room several weeks ago. By now he had gotten used to the placement of the piece of furniture that resided near one of the large windows that Hades himself would always look out through in moments of deep thought. Yet now the dread lord of the dead had decided that he wanted to overhear everything the 'tutor' had to say to ensure he wasn't teaching the boy some kind of slop.

The 'tutor' was actually just Tadashi, and honestly, Hades was regretting his decision. The god did not care for their discussions about 'calculus' and 'biology' and scientific laws, but he figured that his spawn would learn everything that other kids his age were learning. He didn't want an idiot for a kid after all, hence _why_ he was constantly supervising the school sessions, and for about six weeks, Anthony had managed to catch up on sixth through ninth grade. All thanks to Tadashi, one of the brightest minds the Underworld could provide. It did help too that most of the brightest minds known to mankind were dead, but that was just one of the few pros for being Hades' son.

Tadashi raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Polar functions are the least of your worries, you still haven't got vectors down all the way."

"No, not that." Anthony started up from his chair and patted down his legs, but realized he wasn't wearing any pants. No, don't look at him that way dear reader. Ever since he started his schooling, Hades had insisted that the boy wear real clothes; which consisted of Greek black armor, with little skull pins holding the smoky blue cape in place, and a pair of black leather sandals. No longer were the horrible songs any threat to Hades ever since the god threatened to burn all of Anthony's possessions and to discontinue paying for his Netflix account.

The wardrobe change, though, was also in part to the fact that now Anthony was learning to hone his fighting skills. Now _that_ was where his father had been his teacher; rhetoric and sass aside. Who knew that Hades was actually proficient in teaching him how to fight, but it did help that Anthony had stayed six weeks with the Spartans. Though, unlike the Spartans, Hades taught Anthony how to fight dirty- no honor, no bro-code, just going straight for the jugular, but taunting all the while. Sass was actually an excellent tool for unbalancing your opponent. Something he had done a few times, but his dad, added a whole new level to that, and had even used souls of past warriors just so Anthony could have an opponent- giving them life for an hour until they became dead once more.

"Um... Dad, what day is it?"

"Just another day of my miserable existence," Hades quipped, all the while signing the papers that Pain and Panic were holding in front of him.

Anthony felt his stomach turn as he watched how fast his father worked, with Pain and Panic trading all the signed papers with the unsigned papers, until the large stack of papers disappeared altogether.

"You done?"

"What is it, Antonius?" Hades asked, not even looking at him, as his gaze focused on a scroll in his hands.

"Well... Don't you feel it too?"

"Feel- oh-" Hades' flame hair nearly disappeared as a sudden chill went up his spine. An all too familiar feel of what was to come. "Oh, damnit- no f-" the rest has been deleted because the author did not feel obliged to mention exactly everything the god of the underworld said. "Hide damnit, hide! Pain! Panic! Evasive maneuvers! We got an in-bound in-law!"

"Wait, _Grandma?!"_ Anthony's mouth fell open in joy. "I haven't seen her in years- aw jeez- you told her I was dead didn't you?!"

"YES! Now vamoose!" Hades hissed, pushing the boy out of the room. "Pain! Panic! The desk, papers- everything! You, Sushi-"

"It's Tadashi, actually."

"Whatever, keep the kid company- you know where he is."

"But I'm right here," Anthony pointed out.

"Not anymore!" Hades fumed and snapped his fingers sending the boy to his room, just in time before a large pear-shaped, green-skinned woman appeared at the entrance of the Underworld throne room.

The woman in question, while in any other situation, could have been described as the perfect embodiment of mother earth from her large hips, the round jovial shape of her face, and the eccentric floral arrangement her red hair was bundled into, but now her sweet face was marred by the look of disgust she was giving the only other god in the room.

"Hades," the goddess stated flatly, skipping any sort of greeting and merely going straight for the kill.

"Demeter," Hades produced a fake smile, stoically crossing his arms across his broad chest in a way to try and seem like he was unsurprised by her unannounced visit. Any other god or mortal for that matter that dared do the same without any sort of reason would find themselves either dead or wishing they could die. "Come to give me another one of your spiels? Or oh, I _know-_ come to remind me how much of a complete-"

"Ugh, three years in solitary confinement in this dump and your still moping around here. Honestly, I do _not_ know what my daughter saw in you." Demeter chided, allowing one of her plump fingers to slide against the wall she was next to. "Then again she wasn't really given a _choice, huh?!"_

"Look, _lady_ ," Hades flared out, before composing himself once more. "Mother-in-law, or not, you know sure as hell, I _gave_ her a choice, I'm a bad guy yeah- I won't deny it, but I would never be that low. Apollo, Ares, all of those schmucks would have if they were given even the _slightest_ access."

"That wouldn't have been a problem if she became a virgin goddess, but _no,_ you decided to make her decision for her. You ruined her life-"

"Hey, I was the best thing that ever happened to her!"

Demeter coldly stared him down.

Her silence unnerved Hades to no end because usually she _always_ had something else to nag about, but not now, and that was honestly more terrifying then when she threatened to castrate him.

"No," she suddenly spoke, a small look of sympathy glimmered in her impossibly green eyes. "No... We can argue all we want, but we know exactly who was the best thing that ever happened to her... And it wasn't either of us." The green-skinned goddess drifted off once again as twin trails of tears slid down her cheeks.

Hades awkwardly put his right hand around his neck, a small quirk he had whenever he was nervous. Oh gods why was she even here? The last time she came here was when Anthony was born. What could possibly bring her here if Persephone wasn't here?

"Today's the anniversary of his death you know," Demeter exclaimed suddenly, her voice cracking as she tried to contain back a sob, and in a flurry of daisies a handkerchief appeared in her hands.

 _So that was it_ , Hades thought before he said anything. _Oh, she's gonna kill me later, but it'll be worth it._ "I know," he whispered loud enough for her to hear him, and hung his head for dramatic effect.

"I never understood why the sirens would kill a six year old. I told Persephone not to take him anywhere- she could have stayed with me. We could've raised the little boy together, and you- you did nothing!"

Hades put an offended hand to his chest. "Moi? Babe, I did more than you give me credit for. It wasn't _me_ that killed the kid- it wasn't _me_ who turned him mortal and it sure wasn't _me_ who still gave him godly duties, _kapiche_? You wanna complain about someone- blame the kid's own grandfather."

Demeter let her guard down and felt herself to flinch in the harsh truth behind his words. "It was your punishment-"

"THEN WHY THE HELL DID HE PUNISH THE KID AND NOT ME?!" Hades roared in a moment of unrelenting honesty, his entire body becoming nothing but fire. "I could have become mortal for all of it. Everything, but that wasn't enough- you know why? Because he wanted me to feel exactly like he _did_ with what I did to Jerkules, but he has thousands of children. I had one. Try and convince me the justice in _that_ ," Hades snapped, the sharp cynicism making the words sink deeper into Demeter's already broken heart.

How was it broken you ask dear reader? First came the loss of her grandson, and now her daughter, perhaps, it was time to see who was really on her side... The father of her own daughter refused to relent the punishment inflicted on to Hades' son and now she was left with nothing. Suddenly she felt like she had chosen the wrong side when it came to her late grandson? And that's when she decided.

"I can't convince you," Demeter admitted. "But now you know how it's like to lose your child and not know what happened. Still," Demeter paused, staring Hades in the eye, a strange look of determination alight inside of her. "I don't think anyone deserves that. Not even you."

"Sorry I don't think I heard you right- are you apologizing?"

Demeter rolled her eyes, suddenly remembering why she never got along with Hades. "Don't start, I was agreeing- not apologizing, I'll never forgive you for what you did, like how you'll never forgive Zeus for everything he's done."

Hades shrugged. "Fair enough."

"But, I know you well enough to know you want revenge, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm willing to extend a hand out to you- just one small favor. Zeus took my entire world because of this, and I want him to suffer... The gods have been disappearing ever since Anthony. All of them running from you, but Zeus still hides on his cloud, thinking everything's hunky-dory when it's not. It's time for a wakeup call. "

Hades tilted his head and cocked his eyebrows in amusement. "Oh, really?"

"Yup, one chance where I won't hate you- just name it as long as it is within my powers."

Hades pondered this for a moment and his thoughts wandered over to the little winged girl who was starting to lag behind in his plans. "Oh, I've got an idea," the dread lord chuckled. "Can you go to the modern world, and I don't know- bring Spring just a week earlier?"

Demeter shrugged. "Um, sure, but I don't actually see how that's evil..."

"Patience, Demeter," Hades smirked. "Evil doesn't look like evil until it's too late."

"I still hate you- you know that right?"

"The feelings mutual, babe."

* * *

When it was time for Phoebe to say good-bye to her guests, it was hard not to notice the new determination behind each of the girl's eyes. All of them knew now who the real threat was, and the deadline for the first of Spring approaching they all had to act quick and fast for they were the Kingdom's only hope. If no one believed them, then so be it, they'd just have to prove it in under two weeks and two days.

"Bye, guys see you Monday!" Phoebe waved good-bye to her four friends as they made there way out of her door.

"Come again soon!" Mrs. Palomera exclaimed, hugging each of them and writing down their contact information.

Then as she lead them to their "car" it was an illusion actually, but Phoebe's mom didn't notice, Elise turned to Phoebe a sudden moment of realization on her face. "Oh before I forget Grandfather wanted me to give this to you- he said you might need it for some odd reason," the heiress said, handing her friend a yellowed paper, folded in half, hiding it's contacts to the world.

"See ya later!" Elise winked, and disappeared in the car.

Saying a final good-bye Phoebe opened the note and found a very strange picture behind it. It was a circle with little symbols along the edge of the circle with a one-eyed triangular creature with a top hat staring back at her, and written in neat cursive was the message all in capital letters:

"THE PRISONER OF THE CRYSTAL MUST BE RELEASED."

* * *

 **A/N: End scene.**

 **The end should be coming up next, sorry for the long wait, but the end is nigh, and all will soon be revealed. It's probably gonna be a two parter, and the sequal should be up after that. Thanks for hanging in their guys, we have a looooooong way to go! I hope you guys are ready for the identity of our "prisoner."**

 **Angel of H-d out!**


	26. It's a Small World After All? (I)

**It's A Small World After All: Part 1**

* * *

 _"Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world" - 1 John 4:1_

* * *

"You requested to see me?" Maleficent snided, as she appeared beside Mickey Mouse.

The mouse flinched at her appearance; he knew she was coming, but with her appearing in a blaze of green fire it caught him off guard.

For a second, Mickey was about to comment on her entrance, but decided against it. This was supposed to be a peaceful meeting, and 'Heavens to Betsy' as Goofy would say, he was going to make sure it ended that way.

"Maleficent," Mickey curtly nodded in greeting.

The dark fairy coldly smiled, so down to business it was. His letter had only given away the slightest hint of worry, but she knew that there was more to this special meeting than he had claimed.

"Well, well, pray tell, little mouse, what irks you so that I should come this late at night?"

Mickey rolled his eyes. "You know exactly why you're here!" The mouse slammed his gloved fist onto the railing of the balcony.

Maleficent brushed her green hand against the glowing orb of her staff. "Now, now, Mickey, anger does not become you. It _could_ be used against you."

"Threats already?" The mouse felt his lip twitch in irritation. "Even a truce and you're already thinking about killing me?"

Maleficent inclined her head in a thoughtful manner. "Oh, Mickey you cannot think that after all the little spats we've had in the past, that it is mere instinct now."

Mickey snorted. "Trying to kill me in my dreams, kidnapping my friends, and every attempt to overthrow me from my position of King, for the past sixty years, yeah, you could call them _small spats_ ," he hissed with as much venom as he could muster, but his squeaky voice had the opposite effect.

Maleficent pursed her lips. "Yet, it seems you would look over my past transgressions to summon me. How strange..."

"Something happened," Mickey lamely explained.

"Things always happen- why we have a new Magic, the Crystal that keeps us in our borders has mysteriously disappeared, and that little blue pest had her wand stolen."

"I would not have you insult the Blue Fairy in my presence, witch." Yen Sid spat, appearing out of thin air beside the odd duo.

When he saw the Mistress of All Evil along with Mickey Mouse, he glowered. She was the last person he expected to join for this meeting.

"Ah, I knew you would be joining us soon- _Yen Sid,"_ Maleficent rolled his name off her tongue in a seductive manner. "I haven't seen you without your newest apprentice."

The sorcerer ignored her comment. It had been a full two months since he had seen Phoebe. "Mickey, why do you call an old man this late in the night? And on this windy balcony no less." He lamented, gesturing to the balcony outside of Mickey's tower, the one with the golden spire of Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom.

"And with you, Mistress," Yen Sid scowled at Maleficent, wishing that they weren't at each other's eye level.

Mickey nodded. "I want to discuss what happened at the last Council meeting."

"With Maleficent? " Yen Sid grumbled, crossing his arms in a defiant manner as his eyes looked everywhere except for the fae.

"Well, actually..." Mickey forlornly sighed. "It concerns the villains... And who's been behind everything."

"Are you insinuating that it is one of _my_ villain?" Maleficent asked incredulously. "I have not ordered an attack- if anything I have had the villains lay low to allow the little ingénue a fairer playing field. Of course there is Hades' bunch."

"So there are two villain groups now?!" Mickey gasped. Even Yen Sid felt him suck in a breath in shock.

Maleficent clutched her staff to her chest as she paced the balcony. "YES! By the forces of evil- Hades- that blithering _fool!"_ she slammed her staff into the stone floor, emitting bolts of purple and white lightning. "I told him not to do anything dim-witted, but that god dared to...!"

"What?!" Mickey cried. He followed her in her long strides and flinched as she suddenly turned around, and let her staff barely hit the mouse on the nose.

Still holding her staff to his face, she eyed him curiously. "He has been a nasty thorn in my side, always trying to make his own plans instead of listening to me! _Me_!"

"But what does he hope to accomplish?" the mouse voiced, but Yen Sid already had a sinking suspicion of what he was truly after.

Maleficent regained her cool, calm composure in front of the two. "Use the girl to exact his own revenge."

Yen Sid waved off her statement. "Obviously, she _is_ Magic, the power she yields- controlled or not; can be harnessed easily. You've been planning to persuade her as well, Mistress- do not deny it, she could be your key to taking over the kingdom."

"Take over the kingdom?" Maleficent let loose a malicious cackle. "Please, world domination- yes, but my pride would be sullied if I only won because of that wretched girl- no. I would rather end her by my own hand."

Mickey snorted, but remained silent.

"I am not here for your amusement, mouse," Maleficent snapped.

"Yeah, yeah whatever, but back to Phoebe; Hades knows a lot about her past, could she possibly be his daughter?"

"You give that god too much credit... Too much." the fairy's eyebrows rose in surprise at his suggestion.

"No... He would try and use her, thinking she can grant a wish- for that impish wife of his, or worse: seek revenge against her mother."

"Her mother?" Mickey and Yen Sid exclaimed simultaneously.

"Why, yes...I'm surprised that god hasn't blabbered on about her. Such a pity too, it would save everyone _so_ much heartache."

"We thought her father was the god she inherited her powers from, female goddesses have been known to give pendants and she would have had one-"

"Please," the fairy huffed. "You already know who her mother is."

Mickey bit his lip. "You?"

"No, you fool! I only have but one son."

Yen Sid breathed heavily at this note. "Well, witch? Spit it out!"

Maleficent smirked at him. "She is the daughter of Magic."

"She's Magic," Mickey reminded her. "We got that..."

"No," Maleficent shook her head. "Remember, there have now been _three_ Magics."

"What- no, only two: Vanessa and Phoebe."

The dark fairy chuckled, and kneeled down to Mickey's level. "What of the first Magic's daughter: Hecate, the very goddess if it?"

"Hecate?" Yen Sid echoed. "That is imp-"

"Wait..." Mickey hesitated. "Who? I got that she's a goddess, but I've never heard of her."

"Well this goddess, Mickey, was a powerful one- probably the most powerful behind Zeus. Her magic was blue, her wolves had wings, and she had a nasty temper, making her a recluse among the Olympians- sound like anyone familiar?"

"Now," the sorcerer started. "That doesn't necessarily qualify-"

"Facts are facts, Yen Sid." Maleficent argued. "After all, _you_ know she had a daughter."

"Yes, she did," Yen Sid agreed, now turning his attention to the vast array of stars. "That she did..."

"But it is _not_ Phoebe," he reiterated.

"Then who, dear, Yen Sid? Who are her godly parents?" Maleficent pressed.

"Surely you would know being around her to teach her the tricks of spells and charms. What powers does she excel in? Can she bend the elements? Shape shift? Create? What?!" With each word the Mistress's face contorted with unrelenting rage and curiosity, her voice getting louder by the second.

She leaned her face into Yen Sid's, catching him off guard.

He pushed himself away from her, trying not to let her know that she was flustering him.

"Why, Yen Sid, I thought you cared about the girl..." Maleficent caught the end of his beard and twisted it in one of her fingers, until he snatched it away.

"Enough, witch! I care deeply of each child that comes into my house- even if she be born out of wedlock."

"Do we still speak of Phoebe, Yen Sid?" Maleficent observed. "Or do you speak ill of my _only_ son and heir?"

Yen Sid snorted. _"I_ am in no concern of whoever _is_ the father of your 'only son.' Although I can make a few guesses onto who- excuse me- _what_ he is."

Maleficent bared her teeth at the sorcerer. She lifted her staff up and was about to fire a spell at Yen Sid, but Mickey placed the Sorcerer's Hat on.

"Maleficent!" the mouse shouted, and suddenly the staff in Maleficent's hands were ripped away into Mickey's awaiting hands.

"Please, Maleficent, we have other things at hand."

The mistress of all evil slowly nodded. "Very well, Mickey, but give me back my staff- or I won't act so cordial as before." Remembering how easily the Genie had taken her staff so easily.

Yen Sid rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything as his former apprentice returned Maleficent's staff.

Maleficent smiled. "Now, pray tell what are we to discuss today- I hope we have covered everything that needs consideration- after all the Council meeting was a success and the little apprentice should solve the case by tomorrow night when the sun sets."

The dark lady stopped when she noticed the quick glance the sorcerer and his former apprentice shared.

"Oh, did you two not know that the Equinox has been moved? Pray, Yen Sid, did you not feel Zephyr on the move and Boreas change course? Why wizards with your talent _should have_ noticed the change by now."

"What?!" Mickey shouted in alarm, "No one's strong enough to change the seasons."

"But a god can."

Mickey remained still. "But Hades can't do that."

"No, but he seems to interfere with things when he knows things aren't going his way. He _is_ friends with the Fates- perhaps they gave him a revelation of some sort of prophecy?"

"Nah, they haven't given a big prophecy since about twenty years ago," Mickey shrugged nonchalantly.

"Ah, so you _have_ been hiding one from me," Maleficent wolfishly smiled. "Pray tell, what exactly have the three divulged to thee?"

Yen Sid gave a sharp look to Mickey, but the mouse seemed to have ignored it or didn't notice it as he spoke

"Eh, it was right when the Disney Renaissance started- when people started to believe again- like when Walt was still alive."

"Was it a friendly visit or did they summon you?"

"We were opening the portal to the world of Hercules- I was on an expedition with Donald and Tom Sawyer when we stumbled across the tunnels in the Magic Kingdom. We only had Tom with us because he said he found a tunnel that wasn't part of Injun Joe's, and Donald believed we had found another world. We had recently unearthed the portal to 'Nightmare Before Christmas' at Haunted Mansion underneath a statue in the graveyard there. So we figured that the tunnels led to the Mansion since they're nearby," Mickey explained, sticking his hands into his pockets.

"Well, the next thing we know, we entered the tunnels and found The Fates were waiting for us."

"They were expecting you, I see."

"Yeah, Donald passed out too. Sawyer, he got way too excited when we met them- the first thing he did was steal the eyeball. They weren't happy, but we got answers out of them- more than we would have liked. Gosh, we had no idea what world it was, but when they told us who they were, we forced them to show us some proof, so we went deeper into the tunnels until we came into the Underworld. They took us to their 'lair' and showed us this long thing called the 'Tapestry of Fate.' That's when they asked for their eye back, and Tom, stubborn kid-" Mickey laughed as the memories swam back. "-Demanded that they give us a little taste of the future..."

Yen Sid shook his head, "He should never have asked them..."

"And that's when they looked at Tom, they called him 'son of Apollo,' and they told him his wife was pregnant with a girl who would be born with prophecy, but for his insolence, they added to her gift. They let her see everything, every decision they would ever make when spinning the cloth of Fate, they made the girl an agent of Fate."

"And why do I care of the daughter of Sawyer?" Maleficent interjected.

"She broke off from the Magic Kingdom the day Phoebe became Magic; on Halloween night. If that's not coincidence, I don't know what is."

"Ah, so the Sawyer girl broke away when your eyes were cast elsewhere, but what you still haven't answered is the prophecy-"

"I'm getting there! The island was the place where we used to consult the Fates whenever a new world would open or when the gods wished to speak since that day. But now we have no communication with the gods or the Fates- the only communicator we have is Hercules, but even then he comes in every now and then and Olympus is closed off!"

"Olympus refuses to speak? That seems normal- they have been silent for quite some time, but the Fates are not controlled by the will of the gods- why would they suddenly leave?"

Yen Sid cleared his throat. "My theory is that they wished to step out because the prophecy is being fulfilled as we speak."

"And the prophecy, what did they say?!" Maleficent demanded.

"Mickey, don't tell this witch- what purpose does she have of knowing what we have kept hidden?"

"Because I want to know more about her son!" Mickey harshly whispered.

In truth, he had been wondering more and more on the subject of who exactly this heir Maleficent referred to. Could he be a demon? A regular mortal? A fey like her? Or worse: a dragon?

Maybe it would've been easier to know what he was if he knew the identity of his father- if he had one. Maleficent with all her knowledge of Magic could've created a sort of clone of herself or split her soul to create another living being. Any other thoughts about the boy's birth started escalating into even darker scenarios, so Mickey brushed that for another time.

What more had Maleficent mentioned?

It had started since Halloween, either to inspire fear into his heart or to catch him off guard. Whatever the reason, he didn't want to be ill-prepared, but he had a sinking suspicion that her son might actually be the newest incarnation of Dreams- like with Phoebe being the incarnation of Magic.

"Yen Sid," Mickey spoke at last. "If you can't-"

"No," Yen Sid interrupted him. "We will tell her, if that is what you wish, you are still the king, but on the condition that she will not try and force the events of the prophecy to happen faster... You will soon see why."

The sorcerer snapped his fingers, and immediately a tightly bound scroll appeared in his hands. Maleficent felt herself inching forward to snatch it out of Yen Sid's hands and read it herself, but he instead opened it and read them out loud, his voice clear and fluid-like as if he was reciting a spell.

 _"Wake up Magic your time has come, in mortal bonds you shall soar from the heavens to the realms of ghost._

 _Protect the world from Darkness' wrath, with a mind more powerful and sharper than any host._

 _Attendants come in many shapes and sizes for Magic's aid, from animals to spirits, to pirates galore._

 _Yet the most treasured of all her companions is the one she would forever adore._

 _A living nightmares has been his past, the curse alive wherever he tread._

 _In sleep beware ye who cross his path, for sword or fire will be your untimely end._

 _Always here and always there is where the boy may hide, but Magic will never see._

 _And behold upon the end of November, a hero with wings ends Magic's never ending journey!_

 _But, is not this wayward soul a child of sorrows and unanswered prayers? A boy cursed with the gift of Dreams, and in his arms he holds the key to end his wretched misery._

 _But look! behind the hero lies your troubles tenfold. The powers of Darkness at last united, the people whom this hero had come from._

 _But do not despair just yet; for more trouble is soon to come._

 _A traitor lies in your midst, heroes. A betrayal that lies from the beginning of the parks. One that you, yourself could have prevented, Mouse._

 _A betrayal so thick it will end the very foundation of your loyalty, from your best friend to your loving spouse._

 _On the battlefield we ride, settling at last the wars of Good and Evil, Magic and Dreams."_

Yen Sid felt the last words hang in the air, he looked up to see Maleficent's reaction, and her expression was more than unsettling. The look of revitalized hope was always a welcomed sight to the sorcerer, but on her, it was downright terrifying.

"Twenty years, I've waited to hear this prophecy and now..."

"Now, what?" Mickey turned to Maleficent who was staring blankly over the balcony, her gaze fixed on the area in front of the castle.

Her cold calculating eyes fixed around the area to where the train station sat at the forefront of the Magic Kingdom.

Hundreds of guests flocked the area, with many crowding the station as a last minute ditch to ride the train or others trying to steal the prime spot for watching the fireworks show and parade that were scheduled for the night. Everything was peaceful in this night, like it was every night in the Parks; thanks to Mickey and his friends keeping the villains at bay with their little shows, fueling the people's sway to believe that good always triumphed over evil.

But for the past four years that wasn't the case. The times were changing, and the audiences across the world started finding more sympathy and even likability towards the villains of Disney- the release of Maleficent, the movie, only proved this point.

And because of that there have been drastic changes. Yet no one, save for the villains noticed this.

For now, Mickey and his friends would be none the wiser; now there were other things to plan, to prepare. If she had to wait ten months, then so be it. First, to plant the seeds and wait for them to grow.

"Now, I know Mickey."

Yen Sid peered curiously at Maleficent. Her back was still turned from them, but even he could see where her wings once laid on her back, the tiny little jutting hills that proved there was once something more. Lost to her a long time ago; the only thing in her story the movie writers got right.

"Know what, Mistress?"

Maleficent slowly turned around, she cast a fleeting glance at Yen Sid and turned to the mouse king.

"My son has wings as well, and he is the child of villains... Why I do recall the prophecy stating that the powers of darkness produced a boy with wings who would be Dreams. Of course," she said quickly. "I could be mistaken in my interpretation."

"Really?!" Mickey gasped. "But that means- oh gosh... Well..." the mouse gulped in displeasure.

In his mind he was screaming, he had not been expecting anything like this. He personally thought her son was just some punk kid who was just like her, maybe extremely obedient and not as cunning, but Dreams? Sure it was a thought, but... Not this... Not after getting to meet Phoebe and understanding her rather cynical, sarcastic nature. She would certainly object to this.

"Mistress," Yen Sid exclaimed, breaking off Mickey's train of thought. "Have you known all along that your son was Dreams? What sort of powers does he possess? His personality? For all we know other villains have children that we have yet to hear about- Gaston has eight running around his tavern for goodness' sakes! Scar has three young cubs, and Cruella has an estranged daughter. Why your child when there are others?"

He had never seen it in his life, but Maleficent hesitated. After all the centuries he had known her, he had never ever known her to not have a biting retort or a debate ending fact. Now... She looked unprepared for this question.

"He has not displayed any sort of powers of Dreams- but like in the ancient stories, it was the first Magic who chose the first Dreams, perhaps it will be like this the third time around; and Phoebe will be the one to make the choice."

Yen Sid guffawed. "Well then there could be another villain's child that could catch the girl's fancy."

"Now hear this, Yen Sid!" Maleficent retorted. "The prophecy states that Dreams appears at the end of November, who's to say that this is the year that it happens? The girl will be sixteen; quite a significant age for this kingdom."

"Yeah, I get that," Mickey commented. "But you want to set up Phoebe with your son? Like wow... you're kidding right?" The mouse snorted light-heartedly.

Maleficent lifted her eyebrow in annoyance. "Do you have a death wish, Mouse?"

Mickey rolled his eyes. "I have the sorcerer's hat."

Maleficent smirked. "You can't wear that hat forever, Mickey. I know what happens when you wear it for too long, and Yen Sid won't be by your side forever. No need to pout, little mouse. I was merely suggesting that perhaps some peace would come at last between the villains and the heroes... A sort of union to cement the peace treaty."

Yen Sid huffed. "Ah, so we have come to this: using Phoebe as a bargaining chip... Regardless, she's not a child of a hero it would never work."

"How about this then Yen Sid, we give Phoebe until the end of December to choose Dreams-"

"Or find," Mickey interrupted.

Maleficent rolled her eyes in irritation. "Very well, or _find_ , and if she has not chosen a plausible suitor, we'll force her to set my son as Dreams on his birthday-"

"Which is?" Mickey asked, slapping his face in annoyance.

"The winter solstice."

"And what do we get in return, huh?" Mickey inquired

Yen Sid cleared his throat. "How about- it's March now... A nine month ceasefire. No sudden plots to take over the kingdom and no curses, hexes, or unnecessary acts of evil. And this will extend to once the transfer of powers happens. In fact, you can even help us keep order."

"Done," Maleficent quickly accepted. "But my son will pay the little bird a visit, how else will there be a chance to fan the flames?"

"Not yet!" both Mickey and Yen Sid shouted.

Maleficent raised her right brow in controlled rage. "Then _when_?"

Mickey and Yen Sid both gulped. "Uh, how does June sound? She'll be out for summer by then."

"Then you better keep her alive till then, she'll be no use _dead_ , and teach her some manners while you're at it. Now... if you have nothing else to discuss with me-"

"Wait!" Mickey stopped her. "And if she chooses someone else; you _will_ go along with it peacefully, right?"

Maleficent eyed Mickey coldly. "There are two villain groups, Mickey, _mine_ is but the least of your worries."

And in a flash of green fire, she disappeared, leaving only dark burn marks on the stone balcony floor.

"Wait! I forgot to say: See ya real soon!" Mickey sarcastically snorted.

"Now, now my former apprentice, I thought it beneath you to stoop to her level."

"Me? I'm just a mouse after all..." Mickey sighed. "What have we done?"

Yen Sid sympathetically patted the mouse's head. "Don't fret, Phoebe is a clever child- and she might have a previous engagement her parents placed on her before she became mortal... And who knows, Dreams could be out there, somewhere, waiting for her to rescue him. He is a child of sorrows and unanswered prayers, after all."

"But Maleficent's threat-"

"Is simply that," Yen Sid interrupted. "A threat."

"The hat may not be wise to use forever, but you, Mickey, were the first being to contain both Dreams and Magic inside you for nearly forty years; and your skill is not thanks to that hat- but you, and you alone. Dreams and Magic may have left you after Walt died, but they left imprints in you; the likes of which that I am still trying to understand. Still the present matters are that it Hades' forces are getting stronger, and our quasi-truce with Maleficent can end quite egregiously if not handled correctly, and if Phoebe can't find the Crystal before tomorrow ends, Maleficent will strike and take the head council leader position. Thus, ending our magical defenses that have kept mortals and characters from mingling together."

"We need to send a runner to warn Phoebe."

"I agree..." Yen Sid stopped abruptly. The sound of the first firework erupting behind him, made him flinch. It was always the resemblance to a loud boom of thunder that made the old sorcerer shudder. From the day he and Maleficent became immortal enemies to when he heard the earthquake that allowed Phoebe to escape the world she had come from.

But to the Mouse it was a happy sound. To him this was a sign that Walt's spirit still lived on in the Parks; the one weird tradition he started when Disneyland opened.

Yet, that day was indeed a dark one.

That was the first mortal interaction with a character- not just any character: Maleficent. That poor worker strayed too close to a portal, and when he accidentally slipped through, Maleficent was there waiting for him.

In short, the man was never seen again. Not a single hair. And only Yen Sid knew of this incident.

When Yen Sid told Walt, they waited a year just in case the man quit, but when three more mortals disappeared- one a child, they had to do something.

They created the Crystal- a magical device that prevented any mortal from slipping into the Realms, kept characters in their respective worlds, but it also kept guests safe; since then there were no more disappearances.

Yet, in case of an emergency, it had a secret power that Yen Sid installed at the last moment. An old magic that he learned when he was under the guidance of the first Magic.

One that he knew he would use one day, but with the combination of the six keys was when one could activate the power; just like bringing down the borders. The catch was it had never been used or even tested.

"I fear the worst if that god has that last key..." The sorcerer drifted off as a new thought drifted through his ancient mind. "Interesting the emergence of a new villain group, hmm? I never imagined Hades being the double-crossing type."

"Gods are weird, you can never really tell _what_ they're after..."

* * *

It had been two days since the sleepover, and Zelda had decided to start sending out the group to parts of the Magic Kingdom Park to make sure everything was normal, considering how wacky everything was since the Council meeting.

First, they had thought it was a good idea to make sure there were no more active animatronics, and if the Editor's assumptions were correct- there would be more living ones very soon- but where?

They checked Pirates of the Caribbean, first, then Big Thunder with those awful goats, but all of those were _small_? What could possibly be Pinocchio's next trick? After all everyone knew that Pinocchio was capable of high scale attacks like that time with the Great Movie Ride; which now that she thought about it, was like he was testing his powers, so how powerful could he be two months later? Especially now that he was in possession of a very powerful wand.

 _Ugh,_ Zelda sighed _, just another thing to think about_. The cowgirl mentally threw that thought into another cabinet, for her to later study and see where it fit along the grand scheme of things.

Checking her watch once more, Zelda gazed around at the little shops along the edges of Frontierland, wondering where her replacement was. "C'mon, Young, you should be here by now..." Zelda mused, but the girl knew her friend was always late, even in times of crisis.

Still she was getting rather hungry and she had no breakfast.

Taking one last look at her watch, 9:08, Zelda shrugged and moseyed on over to the nearest Churro cart, but as she slapped down the cash required for payment, the girl forgot her change, churro in hand as she started running after something that had caught her eye.

"Stanley, what are you doing!" Zelda harshly whispered, grabbing onto the twelve year old's arm before he could run away.

"Oh, hey Zelda! I've been looking for you!" The brown haired boy, toothily smiled at her. That missing tooth of his gave him a quasi-lisp, but all it did was make the boy seem more childish.

"You have? Well where's your brother, usually you two are always together."

" _Wellllll_ , that's why I was looking for you- he's missing..." Stanley explained, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "We- we were just messing around like always, but when we went to the Enchanted Tiki Room, he rushed to the bathroom, and he never came back."

Zelda bit her lip in thought. "How long ago was that? Maybe he got lost looking for you in the crowd?"

"Pssh," Stanley rolled his eyes. "This happened twenty minutes ago and after the first five I went to the bathroom to find him, but when I got there, there was somebody cleaning the Men's room. Something about a bad accident near the entrance, and when I asked him if he'd seen my twin, he said he hadn't seen _any kid_ , and that's what got me thinking, 'Hey where did all the kids go?' "

"Kids?" Zelda repeated. "I'm sorry I'm confused."

"Hey, don't look at me- look around ya toots, do you actually _see_ any kids?"

Zelda slightly chuckled at the boy, but did as he asked. Sometimes it took more than one pair of eyes to miss something very obvious.

So, gazing around at the rather smaller crowd than she had expected, Zelda looked with added perception as she tried to find signs of any kids lurking beside their parents.

Yet just like Stanley suspected: there were none. Just the small babes carried by young mothers and fathers- every other child from seven to fourteen were gone; a rather odd thing considering how that is usually the highest on average of any age group present at the Parks.

"Now that you mention it..." Zelda kept her gaze sharp around and steadily found herself watching a family of five streak across her view. Two children were easily around her age, but there was what looked to be a nine year old trailing behind them.

"Hmm... Alright, I'll help you find your family, but first, go hurry up and find one of my boats and get on the island. Tell the girls I sent you... I've got some of my own investigating to do."

* * *

Zelda leisurely followed the family of five. She had been doing so for the past ten minutes now, and she was starting to wonder if Stanley was just messing with her again. Usually, she'd be able to notice his tricks, but seeing how his brother was missing that was an oddity in itself and sent Zelda into high alert.

Those twin were almost conjoined at the hip as to how much they spent their time together, and one little bathroom trip was all it took to separate these two?

 _Nope, not even going to back away from this._

Silently, Zelda followed the family to Fantasyland- not really her territory, but beings that no one was picking up their phones, she decided to brave the waters herself. As the family journeyed away from the Tangled-themed bathroom area, the girl started to groan when she realized where they were headed: The Small World ride.

Of all the rides!

Still she followed, even managing to hack the system and allow herself to get a Fastpass+ in order to follow them.

Usually, she would have backed out by now seeing how mundane the family was acting, but her gift of prophecy was telling her that whatever was going to happen, she needed to be there to see it.

And see it she did.

After her eyes got bombarded with the overload of bright pastels coupled with the smiley faces of the dolls, Zelda's lips thinned as she tried very hard not to gag at the spectacle.

The boat took off from the dock and ventured into Europe when she noticed the low hanging 'hot-air balloons.' What was rather off about them was how they moved slightly up and down to reflect that of an actual hot-air balloon, not just sideways like they usually did. No, they were moving much closer to the boat level- in fact it was safe to say that if she stood up right now she'd be able to touch the bottom of the hot-air balloon.

Yet, now that her gaze was locked on the sunshine yellow balloon, she was able to discern the little clown doll inside the basket. It's painted eyes looking rather malicious even though it was staring at nothing.

Still, with her vantage point as the last row, Zelda watched with curiosity as her boat sailed underneath the balloon. It started to lower right as that family of five(who were separated into two rows with the adults in front of their children) was but barely three feet above their heads.

Then before Zelda could fully process what was going on, the little clown doll instantly sprang to life and with movements similar to an acrobat was able to descend down onto the boat.

The two teenagers and their younger brother sucked in a gasp, but before they could do anything else, the clown's arm wrapped itself around the youngest sibling and dragged him away from the boat by jumping onto the platforms on which the giant sets were placed. His siblings tried to do something, but they watched both in shock and silent horror to see their brother be taken by a _doll?!_

Zelda took this as her chance to interfere, and pulled out her emergency knife from one of her boots, and took off in pursuit of the boy and his harlequin kidnapper. Yet, as she stepped foot on the platform, the French can-can dolls all stopped their dancing, and in-sync, their heads cocked to one side, trying to decipher who she was.

It did not take long before they processed that the girl was a viable threat and lunged to attack her, all of them trying to claw or bite her flesh. Even though still mortified that the dolls were alive, Zelda managed to keep them at bay with her small knife, but even she knew she could not keep it up as she realized that she was being backed up into a corner where more of the dolls were amassing.

So taking one glance off to where she guessed the boy was dragged to, Zelda memorized as much as she could before she ripped off her denim jacket to reveal her blue wings, and made her escape. Still the dolls tried to jump at her, as more and more started to come to life; not just the can-can girls.

Two even managed to jump on her left wing from above. Zelda felt the added weight and their little plastic hands trying to pull out clumps of her feathers, but the frightened girl was able to shake them off by allowing her wings to fly in a move similar to the eagle's 'death spiral;' which was exactly like it sounded like, believe it or not.

Seriously, look it up.

The entire escape left Zelda rather spooked, but still she had her wits about her and flew out of the entrance that marked the beginning of the ride. Then veering off to a sharp right, the girl landed rather gracefully in the handicapped line, but no one barely noticed her as she tucked her wings back into her jacket as she ran out of the ride and back into Fantasyland.

From there, Zelda did not stop until she reached the island, even taking the shortcut through the tunnels from the Haunted Mansion, a route she rarely used ever since Phoebe joined the Editors.

As the door slid open for her in the Haunted Mansion graveyard, the girl had to stop her rushing when she suddenly felt something tearing at her from inside her mind. Zelda nearly collapsed, but grabbing onto the edge of the tunnel, she managed to stand as images started down pouring upon her.

She was back in the Small World Ride, her friends were side-by-side with her as hundreds of the dolls marched at them. The images shifted, she saw Pinocchio still in his marionette form holding the crystal- A masked figure appeared and clashed swords with Phoebe- Lauren laid collapsed on the floor of a boat- Inigo was being overrun by a horde of Hindi dancers- Pinocchio again, but instead of the Crystal he was holding a young boy- it was Stanley's brother! And last of all the Crystal was shattered and-

Then as suddenly as the images came they stopped, and the voices of the Fates flooded her ears. _"You have seen what we intend, now it's up to you to not contend. It is time for Death to return to his rightful stead."_

And when Zelda heard the words of the Fates, she was bound to acquiesce.

* * *

"Yes, Phoebe, that's it!" Lauren praised, as the short winged girl in front of her managed to dislodge the sword in her hand.

Phoebe lowered her own sword and bowed slightly in thanks. "That's what I learned in two weeks."

"Oh, I knew I should've focused on trick moves like that, they seem to be your strengths... Hmm... Well too late now." Lauren shrugged and picked up your sword. "That's the sixth time you've managed to beat me- that's about a fifteen percent increase since you haven't beaten me since I started teaching you about a month ago, and all in the last three days. Who says you learn the most with mentors? It's all about learning it first-hand."

Phoebe nodded. "Yup, it's really helped me learn how to be quicker on my feet _and_ in my wits."

"Gotta admit necessity builds better than practice," Lauren admitted, turning her back to Phoebe as she removed the eye patch for a second- allowing her supposedly injured eye to enjoy being free.

"Yeah... Well I'm going topside now. I think Zelda should be back by now with her status report," Phoebe voiced.

"I'll join you."

The two of them opened the door leading out of their pocket dimension arena and into Fort Langhorn.

When the bright sunlight shone down upon them, Phoebe's eyes squinted, unused to the bright sunlight. " I thought it wasn't going to be sunny for another week."

"You're in a very bi-polar state- seasons don't matter here," Lauren chuckled. "Just go with it- everyone else does, it's not like something major happened in the last few hours that magically changed the seasons."

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," Phoebe nearly shouted at the foot tall dragon, but she held back, half of her kind of felt ecstatic that Mickey had sent Mushu, but the other half made her want to beat something to a pulp, specifically an underworld deity.

"Hey, honey, don't shoot the messenger," Mushu defensively put his arms up, his whiskers twitching.

"Mushu, I ain't mad at you. It's just, wow, this makes things really complicated now." Phoebe drifted off until a new question bubbled her way through her whirlwind of thoughts. "So when's Spring now?"

"Tomorrow- they're giving you till the end of the day when the sun sets."

"Fan-freaking-tastic," Tammy grumbled. "I have school tomorrow and I've kind of already maxed out on abscenses before I gotta go to credit retrieval for my AP classes."

Inigo furiously flipped through tabs on his hand-held device, trying to piece together a definite location of where their main aggressor was hiding. "Ugh, I wish Zelda was here - I could use her help by now!"

"Did I hear my name?" Zelda shouted from behind them.

"Zelda!" Everyone shouted, turning around to find her head peeking out of a trapdoor in the middle of Fort Langhorn.

"Yes?" Zelda half-smiled, almost as if she was struggling to.

"Spring's been moved to tomorrow!" Elise sputtered out, nearly jumping on Lauren in exasperation.

Zelda's baby blue eyes widened, but she said nothing.

"Well that changes thing, huh?" Drew piped up from behind Inigo.

The boy stepped away to allow the thirteen year old entrance in the circle that was forming without the group noticing.

"Yeah..." Zelda muttered, pulling herself out of the hole, and looked around expectantly. "Wait, where's Stanley?"

"Stanley?" Phoebe repeated.

"He's one of two brothers who visit the Parks frequently. They've been dubbed Sparkling because they can see everything that goes on around here- even figured out the existence of portals," Inigo explained, opening up his handheld device to access the camera system of the island. "Nope, I don't see anybody on the edge. Mushu came knocking, but that's all the cameras picked up and it's not like the kid can hide his heat signature."

"Well isn't that great," Zelda huffed, taking off in the opposite direction- towards the Bunker. "That's just one more kid we have to find."

"What do you mean find?" Elise inquired, skipping on after. "Did you let him run around in Frontierland, again? Zelda, I would expect you of all people to know how egregious that mistake can be."

Zelda halted in her strides and turned around suddenly, giving Lauren an intense gaze, then shared a look with everyone in the group, including Mushu.

"The children are being taken."

What happened after that cannot be described in a single word. It was like everyone had a simultaneous heart attack. They stood still, almost as if they had no air left in their lungs, their hearts no longer making the familiar beat; all had turned into statues. Pulses quickened and thoughts sped across their faces from what Zelda could see after the moment passed, and their wings flapped in agitation, but all of their gazes rose up to meet hers.

"What are we going to do now?" Inigo quietly voiced.

"What we should have done a long time ago," Phoebe answered, her set of green eyes flashed with determination. "We're going to get the Crystal back and get the kids out of dodge before they get caught in the crosshairs. Zelda, where are they?"

"Small World ride- from my perimeter check every family I saw was missing their kids. Ages fluctuating from six to thirteen, but very soon the families will notice, and when that happens I don't know what's going to happen. Guests have never been kidnapped before, guys. Mickey won't even know what hit him when the complaints starts coming- that is if he doesn't hear the parent's cries first."

"Battle stations, it is," Lauren summed up. "Less than an hour we go out find the kids and if they're all cleared out, we get what Phoebe needs and Pinocchio in chains. Maybe sooner- cuz we don't know what he needs the kids for."

"Maybe it's for ransom?" Tammy inquired. "He does have a lot of hostages from what Zelda could tell, maybe what twenty-five percent of the Park?"

"No," Phoebe breathed out, her face fluctuated from realization to disgust. "He's looking for a kid with the Spark... How could I have forgotten that?! Gosh! We could've known he was going to target them if I wasn't so-"

"Phoebe, it's okay," Zelda put a comforting hand on her shoulder, making the girl stop. "We all make mistakes and we sometimes overlook the dumbest things. That was the day y'all first came to the island, huh?"

"Yeah, actually. Wait how- never mind," Phoebe waved off, knowing now not to question how Zelda figured it out so quickly.

"Welp..." Drew muttered. "Any of you chuckleheads got a hare-brained idea?" Her gaze focused mainly on her short older sister.

"Actually..." Phoebe voiced, her body immediately straightened as if hit with a sudden thought. "...Yes."


	27. It's a Small World After All? (II)

**It's a Small World After All? (II)**

* * *

 _"It's a world of laughter, a world of tears_  
 _It's a world of hope and a world of fears_  
 _There's so much that we share, that it's time we're aware_  
 _It's a small world after all-"_ It's a Small World After All, The Sherman Brothers

* * *

It was almost strange seeing a group of seven standing above the roof of the Small World ride. Six of the seven were winged, and of those winged one had a small dragon resting on her shoulder.

Mushu came despite the protests of the group, but Phoebe wanted him to come. He was there when Phoebe first battled the animatronics- might as well bring him along to finish it.

So they were eight in total.

All dressed for battle, with swords, daggers, quarter staffs, shields, an umbrella, and a light saber. Bullets here would not work, both Lauren and Zelda agreed, and opted out of the risky weaponry especially since it was in essence a rescue mission.

Their clothing did vary from each person with Drew being the most simplistic, with her clothes comprising of capris with a leather belt on which her lightsaber rested and a flexible neon green cotton tee, and a large athletic bag was in one hand, filled with who knows what.

Zelda had her hair put in a tight bun at the base of her neck, dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved brown checkerboard shirt, her usual cowgirl boots were gone replaced with flexible leather boots necessary for dexterity. Topped off with a quarterstaff and two smaller clubs hanging in her pistol halter.

Elise had even opted out of her usual dresses for a two-pieced suit, a dark grey long coat over a maroon shirt and matching grey slacks that flared out at the bottom to reveal her black polished pointed boots. She had an umbrella in her hand, the navy blue one that served almost the same purpose as a chainsaw, but was much lighter. "What are we to do about the people?"

Inigo dressed in his polished copper spacesuit as Phoebe deemed it and carrying his own sword, which, surprisingly, was something he was well-versed in despite being raised with laser guns.

"They've already left. Everyone. That hour we spent trying to get ready, I hacked the cameras, and apparently, the ride was closed when a family claimed they lost their child and the ride had a simultaneous ride failure and wouldn't be fixed for the rest of the day because they've had similar problems with one of the more popular rides… the Seven Dwarves Mine ride… Huh… I honestly expected something else," Inigo muttered as he put away his phone.

"That means we have a clear shot," Tammy surmised, looking to her friends for a response. The brunette waited expectantly, but when no one dared say anything, the girl sighed and leaped off the roof with a bound.

"C'mon gals!" She called from down below, waving her right arm several times, the large metallic shield in the same hand glinted with the Spring sun. "We going or not?"

Lauren was the first to join her, in a flurry of her black coat and the multitude of weapons floated around her as gravity and the straps they were attached to allowed them to once again rest at ease on her. Her short dark hair had grown longer in the past few months, but even then the strands barely grazed her ears.

Not needing any more persuasion, the rest of the group were once again together, facing off against the one Cast member who was deterring any guest from entering the ride.

"Sorry, folks, no one's allowed right n-" The large balding man raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting from Tammy to Phoebe. "Tammy, for the love of all things goods, please tell me you aren't associated with her," he cast an accusatory finger at the short winged girl. "And where the heck did you get that silly shield- this is the last time I ever let you watch another Marvel movie."

Tammy blushed furiously, although it wasn't much difference because of her deep sunburn. "Um… I can't say?"

Phoebe, who had remained silent ever since they left the island, shared a look with her sister before back to the old Cast member. "Bruce? You're Tammy's uncle?" The girl exclaimed incredulously. "I thought you worked at Hollywood Studios? What happened?"

Bruce half-laughed. "Why you happened- didn't you know you kind of destroyed the Great Movie Ride?"

"Is it too soon to say it's a 'Small World after all?'" Inigo quipped, receiving glares from his own company. "So it is…"

"Oh… Oh... " Phoebe sheepishly grinned, still concentrating on Bruce. "Oops. Yo, Tam, why didn't you tell us you're uncle worked here?

"Oh yeah- hey my uncle works here."

"Thank you, Young-" Zelda snorted, allowing herself a little bit of ease to work back into her before the tension in her heart dashed all humor from her face. The words of the Fates would repeat over and over again as if they were right there, whispering those awful words into her ears. "You have seen what we intend, now it's up to you to not contend. It is time for Death to return to his rightful stead."

Whatever was to happen to today, she had to make sure everything went according to plan; even if it was something she for once dreaded. Having zoned out from the conversation a good thirty seconds, Zelda listened intently as Bruce stepped away, allowing the group passage into the ride.

"Fine, just go on ahead, and please don't get me in trouble like last time," the older man grumbled.

"Thanks, Uncle Bruce," Tammy forcefully grinned, trying not to show her discomfort. She was hoping that when she introduced her uncle to her friends it wouldn't be in this kind of circumstance.

"Well, get on now, before anyone sees you, I'll try and get the big bosses distracted in case they come in." Bruce corralled them in and led them down into the loading dock. "But for now I'll get you guys going."

The group huddled around the dock, waiting for Bruce to get situated in the control area, a bridge that overlooked the waterway. Then after a few seconds, the boats started to move.

"Alright, kiddos, any preferences on a boat?" He called from above them.

"Get us the handicapped boat!" Phoebe shouted suddenly, surprising all her friends.

Elise was the first to ask. "But, why, Phoebe?"

"It's the only boat that allows us space to move around in and if we're under attack any of us can try and help support the other. Remember Charon? Not fun that." Phoebe explained as she continued to fidget with the short sword and shield held in her right and left hands, respectively.

Now a note on the handicapped boat, it was seafoam in color with precisely four seats, built for one person. The rest of the boat was entirely flat, perfect for transporting people in wheelchairs and other prosthetics.

"Also Mushu, I want you to promise me that if things get out of control here that you get reinforcements."

"Anyone." Lauren spoke up, hearing the two converse. "Start shouting for help if you get out, dragon, help is help- no matter where we get it from."

"Hey honey, I hear ya." Mushu nodded. "Things are 'bout to get nasty down here- ain't nobody gonna argue that. You just say the word and this guardian dragon will do all he can to bring any kind of help or honor."

"Did someone say honor!?" Drew shouted, covering the right side of her face.

"The scar's on the wrong side of the face, turd," Phoebe quipped.

"My honor!" Drew shouted, now covering the correct side of her face.

"There we go… Hey, Bruce, everything ready?" Phoebe called as the doors separating the dock from the boat opened up. Stepping into the boat, Phoebe watched her sister set down her large athletic bag while she re-tied the grey leather boots Elise had gotten for her as a gift when she first entered the Editors to match with her grey flight gloves.

"Yup- you're lucky the track isn't all wonky like the rest of the ride," Bruce mused over the microphone. "Now get out, the cameras up here have been dismantled- so maybe you can reconnect them so I can keep track of your progress, and remember you can move to any boat. I'm going to keep the boats moving and I don't know how long it's gonna take for you guys to do… whatever you're doing... Wait, Tammy- shouldn't you be in school?!"

"Hey, we have kids to rescue, and do you want to be stuck being the prime suspect, again?"

"You're grounded."

Tammy sighed, her fingers drumming along her capris jeans. "Figured… Can you let us go now?"

"You're worse than your dad, but fine, and may the Force be with you," he waved good-bye.

Drew chuckled at the man's farewell, now that she was intimately familiar with the saying.

"Bye!" Everyone rang out, as everyone loaded on board and drew out their weapons.

Inigo with his sword, Zelda with her blunt objects, Tammy with her lone shield, Elise with an umbrella, Drew the lightsaber, Phoebe a short sword and shield, and Lauren all the above and more.

The lone boy sighed in apprehension as the boat travelled underneath the bridge. "It's a small world after all," he sang, only to be joined with the rest of the group.

"It's a small world after all, It's a small, small wooorld."

At that moment, the song no longer felt annoying, but the way they sang made it an almost melancholy tune, for no one knew what was to come out of this quasi-battle.

Everyone, but Zelda of course, a fact that was increasingly becoming more and more of a burden.

So when the boat turned left veering into the actual ride, Phoebe read the plaque decorated the tunnel they were about to go under, a plaque which stated: "Welcome to The Happiest Cruise That Ever Sailed."

How appropriate she thought that the Happiest Place on Earth was just like this, a disguise for the evil intent of others. Because as we all know this land may have been a place where dreams come true, but some people tend to forget that nightmares are dreams too.

If Phoebe could have imagined the location for a fight, it would not have been this ride, and they definitely wouldn't be fighting against smiling creepy little dolls.

At first when the Editors, plus Mushu, entered the Europe room, it was oddly still. Everything was motionless, if it wasn't for the quick rapid breaths of fear she saw her friends and her take, Phoebe might've been convinced there was nothing living in the entire ride.

Oh and the crying. Yes, children's cries seemed to bounce off the walls, echoing in the ears of the Editors, warning them of what was coming.

But that was not even the scariest part. No, that was given to the emptiness of the empty prop pieces: the brightly-colored buildings of various sizes, the Eiffel Tower, the hot-air balloons, everything all there, but where were the inhabitants? The dolls were gone.

"What the bloody hell?" Lauren breathed out. "Inigo how long's this ride?"

"About twelve minutes with no interruptions," he answered. "Hmm, do you think the children are in another castle?"

Everyone rolled their eyes at his comment, "Inigo."

"Sorry, I had the chance and I took it."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Phoebe muttered. "You saw a doll take a child right?" The winged girl turned to Zelda.

"Yes, I even had a vision about a battle taking place here. Hmm, but how is that possible, I'm usually right about these things," Zelda thought aloud, biting her lower lip.

The boat started to turn around the bend, veering off to the side of the room that represented Spain, Italy, and Greece with the small windmills that were supposed to be chased by a one Don Quixote, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Ever slowly, the boat sailed on, unsettling the group. All of them stood, standing at various parts of the handicapped boat. With Lauren at the front, Phoebe to her right, Zelda her left, and Drew and Tammy guarding the back while Inigo sat, looking through all his gadgets trying to think of a solution. Elise too sat in a chair, but she was peering around, trying to think of any detail they might have missed.

"Is the boat rocking too much for y'all?" Drew timidly pointed out.

"Eh, little bit, but I haven't been on this ride for a long time, maybe cuz we're all walking about," Tammy suggested. "I'm just wondering where those freaking dolls are hiding."

"Not to fear, Drew," Inigo exclaimed. "Remember the boat's on a track. What you're feeling is the track maneuvering us forward- there's no way the boat would be moving if there was anything under the boat."

"Maybe we should look up?" Phoebe proposed. "Don't all horror films happen because the monster is above them?"

"We're not fighting monsters, Phoebe," Elise rolled her eyes. "We're looking for dolls, and they don't hang at the top.

"But they sure do come from the water!" Tammy screamed in terror, causing everyone's heads to turn in her direction.

"The heck?!" Inigo cursed. "B-but the track!"

Drew, who stood at Tammy's side, turned on her lightsaber and slashed at the various European dolls that crawled onto the boat, sending several mechanical arms into the air, and even the head of a red-headed doll. Phoebe's sister screamed after the swing as several more dolls jumped onto the boat replacing the first wave.

This time the dolls that reached her, went straight for her legs, and latched themselves around her ankles, biting into her exposed skin, eliciting another scream from the already frightened girl. Yet all it did was increase Drew's anger and slashed and slashed, causing Tammy to move out of the way to avoid the green laser sword.

But two of the dolls that Drew couldn't attack since they were currently climbing up her body and she couldn't risk chopping off her own limbs.

Phoebe attempted to step in, but as she took a step in her sister's direction, a horde of more dolls erupted in front of the boat, blocking the waterway, halting the boat in the process.

"Inigo, what the hell?!" Lauren shouted. "I thought you said this was on a track?!"

"It _is_ on a track!" Inigo shouted his defense. "Unless someone magically took the…" the boy stopped suddenly, his face rapidly changing from enraged to shocked. "Um, guys? Is that?..."

"Well hi there!" A cheery voice greeted them from above the exit of the Europe room.

Fighting ceased as all the dolls vacated from the boat and jumped back onto the little props and buildings.

Drew was about jump off the track to continue attacking them, but Tammy's iron grip stopped her in her tracks, a look of mutual understanding flitting through their eyes, causing the younger girl to calm down.

"Pinocchio!"

"Hi!" The marionette boy repeated, waving madly at them. "Now, what are you kids up to? Don't you know you're destroying Disney property?"

"You bloody know we wouldn't do this on purpose!" Lauren shouted.

"Yeah and where's the kids?!" Phoebe spoke up.

"Boy, do you people need a conscience… Too bad mine had to be put away, he would've done you guys some real good," Pinocchio mused in that boyish tone of his, making the group taken aback.

Was this really the boy that Phoebe was hunting down? Sure, she hadn't been doing such a good job of it, but why did he have to look so innocent?

"Pinocchio, we're not here to hurt you if you comply with us. All we need is the safe return of all the children your minions have captured and the Crystal," Phoebe slowly exclaimed.

"And the wand!" Inigo added.

"That too! Please, Pinocchio we can turn your father back into a human."

"Oh, him…" Pinocchio shrugged, as if he had forgotten about how affected he was when his father was transfigured into a feline. "No, I rather like him in his new form- he doesn't talk back. He was the one who wished me to become a real boy… Wishes are tricky aren't they? Gotta be specific, or bad consequences will happen. What he should have wished for was that I could grow up, but nope, sometimes our own wishes are rather selfish, don't you think?"

"That is oddly philosophical of you, Pinocchio." Phoebe sighed, giving her friends sideway glances, wondering what should they be doing.

"It happens when you grow up. Immortality is both a blessing and a curse when our bodies are stuck as a child, and everyone forgets how old I really am. I was meant to grow up for the sake of one man, I was his wish. Living, the only requirement… Growing up was never in that contract."

The Editors and Mushu remained silent, perplexed at Pinocchio's solemn monologue.

"Can we fight him now?" Drew whispered, still nursing the bites on her legs that were starting to bleed.

Lauren shot her a look, silencing her, but Drew continued to stare daggers at the marionette.

"Pinocchio," Phoebe called out, turning the puppet boy's attention back to her. "We can help you, really, but you need to help yourself first. There are a bunch of kids here who need to be given back to their parents and two magical items necessary to keeping the Disney Parks safe that are all still under your possession. So if you return everything that you've stolen we'll be glad to help, and I, being the Leader of the Council of Magic, will urge my fellow members to acquiesce to your wishes."

"But you forget something Phoebe," Pinocchio curtly spat. "Magic is hard to manipulate on its own- you know first hand."

"So what? It doesn't mean I can't turn you into the proper age or turn you back into a boy, right?"

"Wrong…" Pinocchio emphasized. "So very, very wrong of you to say that! What can help me requires a bit more than just plain magic. You need two more ingredients to change that which is made of magic. Look at all of the wish granters in Disney what they do does not involve changing a form of magic. Only Genie was powerful enough to do that, but with more than just magic- he had the ingredients I need now. You see I was born of magic, Phoebe, just like you are now. Haven't you ever noticed that other people's magic doesn't affect you? How you seem to draw it in like a river? Well that's exactly like me. We absorb the magic; it cannot harm us, but oh, how we can learn to shape it… That's why you didn't die that day you turned into a fish, your magic shaped you into a form better for your survival and why you're still standing as a human."

Phoebe was taken aback, a chill of the similarities between her and Pinocchio almost made the girl sick with disgust. She was a girl who wanted to be real- to be selfless, brave, and true, and in order to become alive was to ultimately become living with magic. The marionette trying to become real and stop her "strings" from controlling her.

"We really are the same," Phoebe muttered before she could fully process what she said.

"Good, I'm glad we're on the same page. I need compliance from you before I can make my wish," Pinocchio exclaimed, eliciting frowns from everyone below him.

"Wait the ingredients… You kidnapped all those children hoping one of them was a wish child!"

"Yeah, who told you about Wish Childs?"

"One of the poor donkey children the day we went to your world," Drew spoke up, diverting Pinocchio's attention to her.

"You! You punched me in the face."

Drew deviously grinned. "Yeah and I would've had you begging for mercy if it wasn't for that guy. Did you get his name by the way?"

"Guy?" Phoebe turned to her sister. "Who the heck are you talking abo- AH!" The winged girl jumped out of the way as a yellow beam hit inches away from Phoebe's foot, making her flinch back.

"That was a warning. We will not speak about the masked boy. He's next on my list after I get my wish. He stole the key from me," Pinocchio nearly growled, thinking of the events which happened after meeting Phoebe and her sister, but stopped himself, he was in the middle of a deal.

"Stole the key?! You mean you don't have it?!" Elise shouted, turning everyone's attention to her.

"Of course I don't have it, but one of you seven do. The Crystal can sense when all the keys are present," Pinocchio explained, pulling out a pulsating blue orb that was emitting a myriad of colors from his pocket. "And boy, does this thing pack a punch when all six keys are present, but then again, I don't need them anymore."

Zelda, Lauren, Inigo, Tammy, and Elise all reached around their necks and pulled out their necklaces which contained a small golden key.

The cowgirl looked to Phoebe and shook her head, signaling something that the winged girl didn't fully process.

"What do you mean you don't need it anymore?"

"Because I thought you needed the keys to put people inside it."

Both Phoebe and Zelda's eyes widened.

The prisoner of the Crystal must be released.

"Jiminy's in there isn't he? And the Blue Fairy I venture too, huh?"

Pinocchio snorted. "Y'know for all the praise you get for being so clever, you really are rather ignorant."

"Nessie, don't you dare!" Mushu yelled into the winged girl's ear, but before Phoebe could even process what she was doing, she was now hovering over Pinocchio like an avenging angel with her sword positioned high above her head ready to strike.

Pinocchio flinched in fright at the sight and in the process fired an array of spells, not just at Phoebe. Sounds of screams and grinding metal caused the winged girl to stop the swing of her sword just so she could see what just happened.

"Well, would you look at that, Phoebe," Mushu practically hissed.

"Oh my gosh…"

"Mhm, better believe it, honey."

Where the large pile of dolls (which once halted the boat in its tracks) were now replaced by ten foot versions of them, eight in total she counted.

"Oh frick…"

Her friends, though, were already making their way to attack the creatures, but as Drew jumped onto one of them, the padawan climbed the dark curls of the can can doll to reach the top of her head. Then with her lightsaber, the girl plunged it into the creature's head, only for there to be no effect. Confused, Drew jabbed the saber into one of its eyes only for nothing to happen, in fact, her lightsaber bounced out of her hands and out of the giant doll's eye socket like a rubber ball.

This stopped everyone, even Pinocchio, himself to see why everything had stilled.

For where Drew had jammed the lightsaber, there was no physical damage.

The eyeball was completely untouched.

"Well, gotta run!" Pinocchio sing-songed, but before he did anything, he snapped his fingers. "Oh and so you guys don't get any funny ideas-" with another flash of the Blue Fairy's wand the entrance where the group had come through was completely sealed off in a yellow shield, the same color as the magic of the wand. Then with another flick of his wand he was gone.

"Well, that's a problem," Tammy murmured, looking to the now giant dolls, their painted features looking rather murderous, to the now blocked entrance.

"Looks like we're going to have to defend our way out," Lauren exclaimed, jumping out of the way of the fist of one of the dolls, a Dutch girl with two blonde braids.

"Actually, fight our way out. The boats aren't moving anymore," Inigo pointed out, cowering behind his seat.

"Well, damn. Hey, Phoebe got any more bright ideas?!"

Said winged girl was currently dodging the fists of a flamenco dancer who was using her castanets as a weapon. "I'm sorry for defending myself!"

"That was all pride, hun!" Zelda called out as she ran in-between all the dolls, hitting them with her clubs, trying to keep them distracted, with Tammy doing the same.

"She's right you know," Drew echoed, jumping off of the can can girl's head quite skillfully, all the while avoiding it's plastic hands.

"Original plan, then! Find the kids, get them out through the other entrance with Pinocchio, Crystal, and wand in hand."

"Wonderful, but we're sticking together, I don't think we've even reached the middle of this hell-hole," Lauren fumed trying desperately to damage the flamenco dancer with every weapon she had on her, with no success.

"Find a way!" Phoebe yelled back, as the flamenco dancer hit the winged girl while she was distracted and knocked her down into one of the buildings. In the process, both her shield and sword were knocked out of her hands.

The flamenco dancer seemed to grin maniacally as it made it's way towards where Phoebe laid incapacitated on top of a crushed prop. The winged girl tried coming up with an idea, but as the doll's giant fist came barreling towards her, she pulled out her dagger and sliced at the hand.

Almost immediately, one could see the doll's eyes become glassy once more before it shrunk and fell pitifully into the river.

"Like I said," Phoebe remarked, seeing the bewildered looks on her friend's faces. "Find a way."

Lauren, though, burst out laughing as she helped her friend to her feet. "Oh, give me that, hun," snatching the dagger from her Phoebe's left hand. "There. Now get that dumb grin off your face, you got lucky."

"Gee, thanks, Lauren." Phoebe rolled her eyes, watching in silent horror as Lauren easily took down the remaining seven dolls. "Mushu, you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine, after being launched out of a cannon, spiralling into a mountain, you can handle anything."

"Good to know, bro. Alright, Lauren, you done being cool?"

Hey, I'm cool cuz I've had practice, you, ya dork, still lack experience and a whole lot of overconfidence."

"She's right y'know," Drew yelled out from some unknown location.

"Stop saying that!" Phoebe shot back, trying to pinpoint her sister's location; which was actually back on the boat with Inigo and Elise.

"Uh, hello? We need to keep moving," Elise remarked from the prop she had been cowering behind.

Regrouping together and after a minute of arguing, mostly Zelda trying to make the group see reason, and after that it was all smooth-sailing. Still, the Editor's job was much more difficult now since they were now on foot, more prone to separation and having to trudge in the knee-high water, so to combat this, they all jumped from boat to boat, before having to resort to actually walking through the displays.

Although, in all honesty, they did not have much to trudge forward before they found more of Pinocchio's defenses.

The next room, dubbed the Asian room, since it largely comprised of the Middle East, India, China and Japan. This room was much smaller than the Europe room, but because it was so small and it represented all of Asia, the area felt a little on the cramped side. Still, unlike the Europe room, this one was definitely more equipped with an actual defense.

Why?

Well, in a word, it was prepared. Down to the last doll, forming a small army of at least sixty dolls, guarding the large Shinto temple that marked the entrance to the next room.

"Okay," Phoebe forced the lump that was forming in her throat. "Anybody got any ide- Lauren, what are you- Drew, don't just follow her! Oh, frick!"

Phoebe took off to join her sister and Lauren as they recklessly ran into the middle of the horde. She understood Lauren doing that? But Drew? She was even more inexperienced than her!

Zelda and Tammy ran in formation behind Phoebe and jumped into the fray with her, hitting, slicing, smashing at anything shorter than three feet.

Even Mushu, Elise, and Inigo joined into the fray to help their struggling teammates. Though the group had strength in skill, the dolls had strength in numbers and several were climbing on top of Lauren and Zelda, trying to take down the most skilled fighters, others even going as far as biting and clawing at whoever was in close proximity.

It was a flurry of movement, fabric, colors, and sweat. Screams were heard from the fellow members, shrieks, and snarls too. Groans of pain, sound of metal hitting metal, and the now and then splash of something falling into the river. Lungs pounded, arms cramped, movements became less fluid as the previous energy started to diminish after perhaps a minute and a half of fighting.

"We can't fight them all!" Phoebe heard Zelda shout from behind her. "Well, we can, but we'll lose too much energy and this is only the second room! We need to press on!"

"Agreed!" Lauren yelled back, somewhere to her far right. "Regroup at the center! We'll fight our way out!"

Turning her course for one of the boats on the river, Phoebe used her shield, now in her left hand, to push the dolls out of her way and jumped on a pink boat, where Elise was cowering. Mushu ran up Phoebe's back and wrapped around the back of her neck, resting on her shoulder.

"Phoebe, you want me to go see if I can contact some help?"

"Yes, go! You're the only one that can slip through. Send a team through the other end- the exit. The kids might be in the Heaven room, so make sure they get the kids out and if possible capture Pinocchio."

"I'm on it!" Mushu saluted and scurried off of the winged girl and away from the fighting.

As he left, Drew's large athletic bag was thrown at Phoebe from her right.

"Turd, I need to tell you something," her sister shouted. The girl was currently trying a strange maneuver where she spun around with her lightsaber sticking out, which kept back the advancement of the dolls.

"Can't it wait?!"

"No!" Drew paused long enough to give her sister a steely stare. "Look, I have something in that bag that I got the day we went to Pinocchio's world, something that was waiting for me back h-"

"Drew, behind you!"

* * *

Hades sat idly on his throne, slurping, fat worms into his mouth like one would with popcorn; watching the television in front of him.

Developed by Hephaestus, the blacksmith god's cameras followed young demigods across several dimensions, live streamed to all the gods in the cosmos. These demigods were actually just the main characters in Disney movies, and really, it was Hephaestus who captured the lives of a normal demigod, and the lengths they took to achieve their dreams.

Anthony, however was a special case, he was unknown to the gods ever since Hades faked the boy's death a long time ago. All according to plan, of course, thus, why the intent to keep the boy locked in the world down below. The boy's time would come to leave this shadowy place, and finally after twenty years of work Hades would have his perfect revenge.

But Phoebe was part of that equation.

Ever since Hercules revealed to Zeus that she was a suspected demigod, the blacksmith god had a crew watching her every move. This worked to the lord of the dead's advantage. He could now keep a close eye on her in case things went awry, and it did help that watching the girl fail was an added bonus.

Which was exactly what was going on.

"Gotta love a damsel in distress, huh, Antonius?" Hades exclaimed, not even looking back to where the boy was silently creeping up.

The sound of someone's head hitting stone, followed by a groan, revealed Anthony's hiding spot.

"Dangit dad, that freakin' scares me when you do that." Anthony snuck out from behind Hades' throne, and eyed the television warily.

"Since when do you like stalking people?"

Still not looking up Hades said, "Oh, come on, I love it when heroes fail, it's just disappointing that Wonder breath don't fail. "

Anthony's hair sparked in frustration when he recognized who was on screen and he grabbed the remote from the throne's armrest and turned it off.

"First off, it's heroine, she's a female, get it right, damnit."

Hades cocked an eyebrow.

"Second, dad, why is she doing this?" Anthony's voice rang with desperation. He knew that her quest was a trick, but something was up. Tourists weren't supposed to be kidnapped, that wasn't a part of the plan he had overheard. "I just wanted to ask you why the hell my hair is blond since Spring hasn't begun yet, but I think I have an answer now… Really? Sped up the seasons? Why? You _hate_ Spring".

Hades shrugged, popping another worm in his mouth. "Eh, I just wanted to see her finish this damn case. I mean c'mon she's been taking way too long and I didn't want to wait a whole other week to see the grand finale." The god snapped his fingers and the TV was on again.

"My gods, you need a new hobby… Have you thought of baking?" Anthony sighed when Hades ignored him. So he opted to lean against his father's throne so he could see what exactly had his dad's eyes glued to the screen.

"By the way, have you noticed anything peculiar about her weapon of choice? It looks awfully peculiar, huh, son?"

"Don't you 'son' me!" Anthony snapped, marching in front of the TV. "This is spreading paranoia! Once my world hears about all this, there's going to be suspicion, and suspicion leads to suspects. Why would the villains want to besmirch more of their names-"

The boy stopped mid-sentence and stared at his dad, his heart nearly stopped beating. "The villains didn't plan any of this, did they?" His voice a low whisper. "Pinocchio- everything- you screwed up didn't you?"

Hades snapped his fingers, moving Anthony to his side, unblocking the TV. "Yep."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Hades shrugged. "Maybe it'll come in handy one day."

"You're confusing me... But you're hinting at something... But what?"

Anthony's eyes quickly dashed to the TV, not thinking twice, he laid down in front of it, propping himself on his elbows as he watched the moving pictures changed setting.

"Just go in there and save your girl." Hades replied, as if it was obvious. "Now quit acting like I'm an idiot and go."

Anthony deeply blushed, his hair no longer sparking. "What?"

"I hired the guy for the Crystal then the bastard had to go and double-cross me now go -"

"What?"

"We want Phoebe distracted." Hades spoke slowly in a way to taunt his son. "Ol' Mal awakened Magic too soon. Ba-da-bing, new plan shows up to keep her distracted before we can do anything big. Well for Mal's plan, not mine."

"And this isn't big?!"

"Oh look," Hades pointed to the TV. "Her sister's going to die."

"I freaking hate you." Anthony screamed as he ran full speed to his room.

He threw open his doors, and frantically searched through his closet, and pulled out an old suit, an old three piece suit Madame Leota had magically fireproofed. A terrible idea was forming in his head.

Once putting it on, Anthony admired himself in his mirror. He slid the mask over his face, the porcelain cold and awfully foreboding. Glancing once more to check if the mask was in place, Anthony took a deep breath and concentrated. Slowly he felt his eyes change again, but his pupils remained round.

"Deus ex me." Anthony muttered to himself, strapping a sword to his back. It might come in handy, he thought.

"What are you doing?" Tadashi asked from the doorway. The green outline of his ghost contrasting to the dark tones of the room.

"Oh, going out to town- maybe grab a bite to eat, see a movie, save people- y'know normal things. Maybe you should stay back and make sure dad doesn't mess with my stuff while I'm gone; you know how he is."

Tadashi cupped his chin in his see-through hand. "Um, so you're going out? Just like that? Didn't Hades say no to that?"

"Changed his mind," Anthony snapped, marching right through his mentor. "Now I have to go. I heard there's a ballroom blitz going on and I simply can't skip one of those again."

"Hey, don't walk away from me!" Tadashi appeared in his path, but Anthony ignored him and took off running through him once again.

"I'm not walking!" Anthony sing-songed, veering off to a sharp right.

"Uh-huh? Tadashi now precariously leaned against one of the walls in Anthony's direction. "I'm sorry, but are you trying to sass me?"

"Dude, if you haven't picked that up from day one, you've really missed out on a lot." Anthony popped his head into Hades' throne room to find his dad still immersed by the tube.

"Yo, pops, I'll be back tonight, you need anything?" Anthony asked, almost too casually as if he was going out to hang out with friends to go watch a movie.

"Just kick that tree's ass."

Anthony grinned at that. "Will do," he cheerily agreed, and practically skipped away.

"Hey, Antonius, you better not let anybody see your face, capiche?"

"Yeah, dad, whatever you say," Anthony called back, despite not being in earshot anymore.

Then descending down the thousand stairs to the dock, Anthony was stopped once more as Tadashi reappeared.

"Wait! I'm not here to stop you."

"Well, me stopping to talk to you kind of is stopping me," the fifteen year old pointed out.

"Fair point, but look, Anthony, just keep your head about you. It makes no sense if you go act crazy or whatever."

"Fine, I will act sane at least ten percent of the time."

"Oh goodie, you actually have more than two percent."

"Ha-ha…" Anthony rolled his eyes at his mentor's antics.

"And here use this to get to where you're going, Hades didn't want you to run out of energy before you got there," Tadashi explained, handing Anthony two black pearls.

"Aw, my old man does care."

"Just think of where you want to go and throw one at the ground."

"That sounds too easy… But cool... Farewell, my dear dead friend, I will be but a sadder and wiser man the morrow morn." Anthony dramatically proclaimed before throwing one of the two pearls to the floor and disappeared in a flurry of purple smoke.

* * *

"Ugh, oh gods, I'm never gonna forget that stink," Anthony stuck his hand underneath the mask and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh, dear sweet Persephone, I swear I'm gonna have a nose bleed."

Shaking his head to clear his growing headache, Anthony realized he was not alone on the loading dock of the Small World ride. Rather, he was being stared at by a thin red dragon, who was giving him a bemused expression.

"Who are you! You just popped out of the ground like a daisy!"

Anthony fingered his hair in embarrassment. "Is that a blond joke?"

"Wait hold it- you just, what? You can see me? You know what never mind- they said anybody and I'm gonna give them anybody." Mushu mused, talking mostly to himself rather than the boy who was now perplexed himself. "Look alright, I just escaped from one there-" he pointed somewhere behind him. "-and there's a bunch of demon dolls and we need somebody to go save the kids from the exit direction who are being held hostage."

"Kids… Oh yeah the kids… You said the left side of the ride, right?"

"Yeah, now go. Shoo- go on and grab them crying kids. Jeez we're gonna need some more help. Oh what am I going to do, people are gonna die…" Mushu pensively paced, putting his foreclaw in his mouth. "Mulan- wait Mulan! That's it I'll get a whole bunch of butt-whipping heroes over here, you just get the kids out, we'll get the real work done. It's warrior time, baby!" Mushu shouted and sprinted out in a blur of red towards the center of the park.

"Well, okay then…" Anthony spoke to absolutely no one, and wandered off to the "end of the ride" or whatever Mushu was calling it. Pursing his lips in disgust, Anthony could only stare at the apparent lack of a path to said exit. Unless of course he took a bit of a swim. A shiver went down his spine, there was no way he was even touching that water. Not even a toe.

He could climb the top though, or you know, use the boats as stepping stones.

"Now that is an idea…" Anthony smiled at his own ingenuity. "Well, I guess it's time to save me some kids... Wow, I never thought those words would come out of my mouth. Here goes."

Taking a breath, Anthony steadied himself before he took off, sprinting. With careful precision, and years of experience, the masked boy's foot landed on each of the backs of every four rows of seats until he had to jump onto another boat.

Across the room of good-byes, which was named for the bright pastel infused signs of different ways to say "good-bye," Anthony kept sprinting onward as he jumped onto the boat that was halfway between this room and the Heaven room.

Slowing down, Anthony hopped off of the bot and onto the nearest platform to his left that was covered in light teal carpeting, and hid behind the large white windmill that was in the corner of the room.

Then stretching out his body, Anthony jumped and grabbed the edge of the raised base the windmill was situated on, and allowed his eyes to scan the area, but his view was blocked.

"Hey, you, can you move out of my way? I am heroically trying to rescue a bunch of kidnapped kids."

"Hey, bozo, we are those kids." The brown-haired boy in the red striped shirt snapped, the ropes around his shoulder keeping him immobile as he tried to fight his restraints.

"Me too!" cried a little redhead boy beside him, but this one looked about four years younger.

Anthony placed his elbows on the base, so he could keep talking to the kid. "Whoa… What a coincidence... That can explain why you're tied up, now that I think of it."

Six on the windmill, four boys, two girls. Crap why take kids?

"You're a real idiot aren't ya?" The brown-haired boy rolled his eyes.

"Hey, this idiot's gonna save you, but he doesn't exactly have a plan, per se," Anthony mumbled drumming his fingers absentmindedly, trying to count the number of kids he could see from his vantage point. Gods, if only he could get them to move.

The striped-shirt boy stifled a laugh, but his face became hardened. "What do you mean you don't have a plan? What kind of rescuer are you?"

"They call me the last resort."

"You have no idea what you're doing, huh?"

"Yeah… Now shush, gap-tooth."

"Hey, masked dufus, my name's Stanley- Stanley Pines to you! And you _better_ have a plan cuz my brother is out there with that possessed puppet!"

"Your brother? Why what's the special interest?" Anthony pulled himself up and started to undo the restraints on the boys using a small knife he kept in his boots.

"Heck if I know." Stanley rubbed his red wrists, trying to restore the blood flow as soon as the ropes were gone. "He just waved a glow stick at him and then he's like: 'I found him! The Wish child!' or some gobble-dee-gook like that."

"Hmm, that's really weird, but we'll find him. First, we need to get you kids back to your parents... And Stanley, I think I have a plan... Now listen up!" Anthony whispered, having the children huddle close to him.

* * *

"Drew, what the hell!" Lauren screamed yanking off the doll that was trying to choke said girl.

"My gods, just go over there with your sister and think about what you've done! Cripes, I can't save you all! I am not your mother!"

Phoebe's younger sister, hopped onto the same boat as her sister and Elise, who were shouting for Tammy and Inigo to regroup, all the while trying to halt the advancement of any dolls into the new boat they were using as a defense.

Drew took this opportunity to grab her athletic bag and strapped it along her back, by tightening the strap around her torso, rather like one would with a lop-sided backpack. Thankfully, she finished her task as Tammy and Inigo hopped back onto the boat with Lauren dragging Inigo.

Phoebe surveyed the group and could only bite back a gasp at how battered they looked. She herself only sported minor cuts and bruises along her exposed arms where the dolls had scratched and bitten before her magical defense system pushed them off and she could fight again. The others, on the other hand, had no such magic to protect them. Except for Elise who always managed to remain unscathed thanks to Lauren's constant hovering.

Inigo, though, had the worst injuries so far, with his left eye swelling up thanks to a scratch right above his eye thanks to a belly dancer who had gotten lucky and jumped off a high place to land squarely on his face. The rest was easy to figure out.

Everyone else had the same cuts and bruises, but scattered in different locations. Zelda and Lauren looked the most beat up, yet that was thanks to keeping a close eye on their friends rather than themselves.

"Alright!" Zelda shouted, turning everyone's attention to her. "From here on out we run through Africa. Phoebe can you manage a spell I got an idea."

"What kind of spell?" Phoebe asked, briefly turning her neck towards Zelda, as she sent two geishas into the water with her shield. Swords were not working with these little buggers

"Telekinesis, but we have to run all the way across the African room, first."

"Why that room?"

"You'll see- Lauren Phoebe the back!" Zelda barked and helped Elise to her feet. "Drew at my right, let's go!"

They all sprinted as one, with lauren and Phoebe hanging in the back, clearing any doll that got too close. While at the front, Drew swung her lightsaber left and right, taking down or warding off the attackers.

Soon, the African room was upon them and with it it's own set of horrors. While every other room had dolls, this one had an assortment of larger animatronics that comprised of a zebra, a camel, a hippo, two hyenas, four giraffes, a giant pink elephant head, and littered with a dozen or so monkeys. The room itself had more animals than actual dolls, and because of that, the Editors had more to contend with.

Yet the room was indeed small, and proved to be their greatest advantage had it not been that the previous room's animatronics had taken it upon themselves to follow them.

The hippo was the first to attack by launching its large intimidating body onto one of the boats in front of them, capsizing it in the process, but what the hippo hadb't expected was that since it was made of mechanics, it started spazzing when it's feet touched the water and kept doing so until it keeled over and no longer moved.

"Well that escalated quickly," Phoebe muttered, causing some of her friends to laugh nervously.

The Editors halted their sprinting onto a blue boat, and prepared themselves as the animatronic monkeys came swinging over their heads, making grabs for their hair. Hyenas jumped onto the same boat as them and were huddling them in the center, making them an easier target for the monkies.

"Holy crap!" Tammy screamed in pain as one got lucky and dragged her off of the boat and into the water with a large splash.

With a newfound energy, the remaining Editors launched themselves at the hyenas and managed to throw them overboard into the water using the combined strengths of Lauren and Zelda.

Phoebe watched the hyenas as they started to twitch just like the hippo when they hit the water and small electrical impulses shot out of them. Like Pinocchio, she noted, they might have been "animated," but the materials they were made out of didn't behave normally like a real living thing. That was why Pinocchio could always float.

Zelda ran to the other side of the boat where Tammy was thrown and called out to her several times. The sunburned girl resurfaced and yelled obscenities at the simians and grabbed the outstretched hand of her oldest friend.

"Thanks, Sawyer," Tammy grumbled, mostly in pain.

Meeting up with the her huddled teammates, Zelda gestured to the path ahead of them. "Everyone, fly to the next room, Phoebe, you stay back with me."

With their wings extending from out of their shirts and out in the open, Inigo, followed by Elise, then Tammy, then Lauren who picked up Drew from underneath her armpits. The remaining two members extended their own, but followed behind, heading in a different course.

Above the exit of the African room, stood a prominent pink elephant that swung his head left to right and back again. He unlike everything else in the room was not alive, rather he was acting like usual. Even his giraffe compatriots were the same, their long necks swinging their heads just like the elephant but covered a wider expanse.

"You take the left, I'll take the right," Zelda exclaimed, drawing out one of Lauren's swords.

"What do you-" Phoebe didn't have to ask before she watched as silent incredulity covered her already fatigued face as the cowgirl elegantly cut the necks of the giraffes, sending their heads and remaining neck to the bottom of the entrance.

Almost as if she was planning to block the entrance.

Oh. Oh. Now I get it, Phoebe's mind connected.

Vanessa merely laughed at her host's naivety. "You should probably do the same," her cold, biting voice sang.

"Hey I haven't heard from you in a while. Where have you been?" Phoebe mentally asked.

"Oh you know," Vanessa replied, watching in interest through Phoebe's eyes as the winged girl copied Zelda's actions, but with a little less finesse. "-Little bit of this, little bit of that. I do get bored in that brain of your's. So boring."

"Phoebe, the animatronics!" Zelda called, literally getting the girl out of her own thoughts.

The winged girl turned and found that in her distraction several dolls were starting to pass through from the Asian room into the African, and African into the South American.

Flicking her wrist, Phoebe fired a magic shield, sending all the animatronics that were advancing into the South American room farther away and made them collide with the Asian animatronics.

"Taken care of," Phoebe triumphantly cheered, and joined Zelda with the elephant.

"Fantastic! Now grab the other ear, we're going to use this to block any of the dolls from getting through."

Then, quickly, and expertly, with Zelda's guidance, a giant elephant head, and four giraffe necks, Phoebe and Zelda curved inwardly the ears of the pachyderm and stuffed the giraffe heads in the remaining gaps.

"Do you think that'll work?" Phoebe asked, flinching as she heard several little hands pounding against the makeshift block.

"There's no time to find out! C'mon!" Zelda spurred her friend into action and took off flying, with Phoebe not far behind. "We need to regroup with the others! Who knows how far they've gotten!"

* * *

"C'mere," Anthony whispered holding out his hand for the six year old boy who refused to move from his seat where he had been strapped to..

"No-no-no-no..." The small child shook his head violently. "You're a stranger."

"Kid, all of Disney related plot deals with the fact that you gotta talk with strangers," Anthony argued, getting very annoyed at the boy's antics. He was the last one on the Ferris wheel, and just so happened to be at the highest seat.

"Ugh, now c'mon, I'm going to take you to your parents."

"I don't want to go back! I want ice cream!" The boy practically screeched, hoping it would get his point across.

"I never want to be a dad after this," Anthony mumbled under his breath, hearing his dad's laughter echo in his ears. "Stanley, send another group! It's gonna take a while with this one."

Stanley sent him a thumbs-up and led another group of ten year olds holding hands trying to cross the boats which Anthony had cleverly thought to push them all together to form an easier access bridge than having to jump. Using Stanley as his second-in-command, Anthony persuaded the boy to lead six to eight kids per group back to the loading docks after being freed.

So far there had been six guards incapacitated, and all of them citizens of the "Heaven" world, but the guards continually made trips around from the Pacific Islander room, so who knew how many more were coming. Whatever had made the majority of Heaven World leave was a blessing for Anthony, but he felt that they would be back quite soon and there was still ten kids that had not been sent to safety.

The giant white ferris wheel which Anthony had spent the majority of his time, coaxing the kids to trust him to take them down. Containing roughly twelve children, and a majority of the children were in the younger ages so because of their age, it had been increasingly difficult to convince them that the teenager dressed in black wearing a mask was trying to help.

The ones at the bottom, easy-peasy, lift the bar, they're home safe. The ones at the top, though, Anthony had to physically climb up and down to retrieve them and then bring them down safely before he had to go up again.

"Look, let me show you how I'm a friend," Anthony exclaimed slowly, trying not to raise his voice, carefully lifting the safety bar to free him.

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO GO DOWN! I WANT THE RIDE TO MOVE!"

"That's it!" Anthony spat, his hair sparking in the process, stunning the little boy .

"MONSTER!"

"Oh, screw this crap," Anthony cursed, and grabbed the flailing and screaming child.

Now as one may know climbing is an exceptionally hard sport- with both hands. Anthony had it twice as bad since one arm was securely wrapped around the small boy so he wouldn't fall, but now he was left with one arm to keep his balance.

He was half-way down when the boy bit him, and what happened after that, no one could have predicted what came next.

Anthony felt himself on fire, the boy was no longer in his arms, and someone very rudely grabbed his long cape and threw him into the river. The masked boy flailed in the water, screaming, "I can't swim! Help!"

"Stand up, you, idiot!" Drew shouted.

"Huh?" Anthony could only ogle in confusion as he stood up in three feet of water. "Wait, what-"

The masked boy was quickly silenced as Lauren and Tammy flew over to him grabbed him by his shoulders and threw him on land. Anthony quickly rose to his feet and removed his soaking cape from around his neck and drew out his sword.

Lauren made a swing at him with her own blade, but something felt off about her. Something familiar, and then it clicked.

"You! You're the replacement!"

The skipper's blade froze mid-swing. "Excuse me?"

Using her hesitance, Anthony disarmed her by interlocking their blades and sent her sword sailing across the room, but Tammy quickly came up behind him and swung her club at his ribcage.

Anthony hissed in pain and fell to his knees as the breath was knocked out of him. Before he could process what was happening, Lauren stood over him and removed her eyepatch, revealing her golden iris.

"Replacement for what?" She demanded, picking him up by his shirt collar.

Anthony weakly smirked, trying to muster his breath back. "Your services are no longer required."

"The bloody h-" Lauren's eyes rolled back in her head, and collapsed in a heap of her weapons and long dark cloak.

Tammy ran to her side and lightly patted the sides of her face, hoping it would be enough to draw her back into consciousness. "What did you do to her?!" The sunburned girl shouted, keeping all of her attention on her friend. "Lauren, Lauren! Wake up! Guys, cover me!"

Elise, Inigo, and Drew all appeared around Tammy, surrounding her in order to act as the defense in case the masked boy chose to attack.

"She'll wake back up in an hour," Anthony explained, standing back up on his feet, cradling the side where Tammy's club connected to him, inching away from the trio who were shooting him murderous looks. He could feel two of his ribs were broken, but didn't search any further in hopes that the less he knew about his damage the better.

"And it's not me you should be wary of, isn't that right, Pinocchio?" Anthony shouted, turning around to find the marionette holding the Blue Fairy's wand threateningly to a boy quite similar to Stanley, were it not for the glasses.

"You," was all Pinocchio exclaimed from where he stood above the entire room in a hot air balloon.

"Yes, me. I'm so glad we got introductions out of the way. Rather time consuming don't you think?" Anthony grinned, picking up his sword and held it towards Pinocchio. All the while putting a firm hand to his injured right side, he removed it slightly to find blood on his hands.

"Agreed." Pinocchio warily eyed him, and straightened up. "Now, how about you throw that sword down, we wouldn't want anyone getting hurt, now would we?"

"I can live with the guilt, what about you, dollface?" Anthony taunted. "We both know you need the kid alive, so it's time for you to stop bluffing. Now you have what you want, so how about you kindly get off your high horse and get down here. I have a message from Lord Hades because you didn't come through with your deal: "Introduce wood to polished boot. Pinocchio meet polished boot," Anthony pointed to his left foot. "He will be quite familiar with your bottom."

"That's funny because I don't have all I need."

"You… You don't? Then why the hell are you making such a big fuss like you do?"

"Because the person I double-crossed, double-crossed me on one of the ingredients."

"Wow this is getting over-complicated even for me. Wait-wait I think I can figure it out. You need three ingredients: Wish child- that's you Stanley-twin, essence of magic… um..."

Pinocchio sighed and procured out a small white feather.

"So you have Phoebe's feather now, that means all your missing is that Dreams mess, which means..." Anthony continued to smirk even though Elise and Drew were shooting him half-annoyed, half-confused expressions. "I have no idea what did you mean it was the wrong ingredient."

"I got a vial of blood, from the Dreams, but it was a fake! Nothing happened!" Pinocchio waved his wand and bound Stanley's twin in ropes, and then appeared in a swath of golden sparkles in front of Anthony. "And I have nothing to complete my wish! I'm stuck once again as a marionette, a boy, and forever frozen in time!"

"That's rough buddy. Have you considered baking?"

"COULD YOU PLEASE STOP WITH YOUR COMMENTS?!"

"No. Next question." Anthony quipped.

"That's it!" Pinocchio bellowed and waving the Blue Fairy's wand thrice in hand, the once brightly-lit room now was flickering, with several lights being popped in the process.

Anthony launched himself at Pinocchio, but the boy disappeared in a flash of blue and watched in shock as the same color appeared in the balloon where Stanley's brother was kept.

And with the lights now going on and off, the Editors and Anthony could barely make out hundreds upon hundreds of dolls from this room, to all the ones previous, appearing before them, unscathed and untouched, as if there had been no previous damage from what the Editors had done.

In the distance, Anthony watched Phoebe and Zelda flying into the room, both of them covered with produce and was that hay?

"What's going on here?" Zelda gasped, as she beheld everything in the room. The Fates… No… She knew what was happening. Things were about to get ugly real quick-like

Phoebe landed beside her sister, Tammy, Inigo, Elise, and an incapacitated Lauren. "What? Is she okay?"

"No time to explain," Elise spoke with a moment of bravery, pointing at something behind the winged girl. "Pinocchio is making his escape!"

Turning around, Phoebe's eyes rounded in shock at the sight of Pinocchio, as he grabbed a tied-up boy and was preparing to perform another spell.

"Oh, no you don't!" Phoebe jumped into the air, extending out her wings, and flew to the top where the hot-air balloon was tied to the ceiling.

"Hey, get off!" Pinocchio turned his attention to the winged girl as she drew out a knife, getting ready to cut the cord.

But before she could, the masked boy appeared in the balloon along with Pinocchio and Stanley's twin. "Sup."

With Anthony's added weight, the cord snapped on it's own, sending the three of them spiralling… seven feet. It was not a bad fall, not enough to kill anyone, trust me I looked it up, but it was enough to daze Pinocchio and his captive.

Anthony… was fine, all things considered, but he was sorely distracted, a familiar itch was calling him towards that large mass of dolls. He felt his eyes flash golden, someone was going to die.

The Editors, were making a final stand, as tens, if not hundreds of dolls kept coming. The more they knocked down or incapacitated, more would take it's place, and with their position of defense a very small enclosure thanks to the design of the Heaven room, they were perpetually surrounded and with no means of escape.

They needed help.

And help was something they certainly needed. So with sword held tight in his right hand, Anthony stepped into the fray, slashing, kicking, and even on occasion punched his way through the dolls, hoping the more he terminated, the less the struggling Editors would have to deal with.

"Make a path to the exit!" Zelda cried, once she noticed that the amount of dolls that were advancing towards them were dwindling. "Inigo, Drew, Elise, you take Lauren and make a break for it. Young and I will stay with Phoebe."

"Wait!" Inigo reached under his shirt and pulled out his Kingdom Key. "Take this. If Phoebe gets the Crystal open-"

"Then we'll have the Blue Fairy on our side! That's brilliant! Or whoever's trapped there… But yes, let's do that!"

"What about the Fantasyland key?" Elise reminded her friends.

"Shoot, you're right… Wait," Zelda's eyes flashed as a new vision popped in her head. "Drew, what were you going to show your sister?"

"Oh! The mask! I found it the day after Tag You're Dead, at my house, in my room... Idk how it got there, but I think you need to see what I found on it."

Phoebe, meanwhile, did not see Anthony slip away in the bad lighting, nor did she see what was going on with her friends since her main focus was on Pinocchio's captive. Landing down beside the fallen balloon, the winged girl reached for Stanley's brother, pulling him towards her.

"Stanford," Phoebe shook him lightly, cutting away at his bonds. "You, okay?"

When the boy weakly nodded, he schlumped in exhaustion as blood started to properly circulate in his bloodstream. Phoebe paid him no mind as Pinocchio stepped out of the fallen balloon, wand still in hand.

* * *

"Oh, you're alive. Last time I saw you, you were dead," Pinocchio taunted.

"And a fish," Phoebe pointed out. "But now's not the time for that old cliche. So I'm guessing since you're still made of wood, things are going south for you?"

"Only for the time being, now back!" Pinocchio threatened, holding a thin yellow stick over his head. "I've still got the Blue Fairy's wand and still an equal match when it comes to magic. Not just that, but you're outnumbered and outclassed. Defeat is imminent, it's best to surrender now."

Phoebe snorted. "Dude, reinforcements are on the way, and they'll soon find you here at the scene of the crime, with everything here, pointing against you. Are you sure about that?"

"No, but I know a few things- things that are coming! Things you don't know. I'm just the first- the messenger," Pinocchio exclaimed. "With Magic back, you'll find new problems in your wake, new troubles, things awakening, and you're going to be blamed for the cause."

"Quit your yammering! Just hand over the Crystal. If you go down quietly, you might get a nice jail cell, maybe a TV, I can even visit you in solitary confinement."

"As you wish," Pinocchio grinned and threw the glowing crystal in the middle of the mosh pit of where the army of dolls stood. "Good luck!" he cheered and fired a spell at Stanford, making him float behind him as he ran.

Phoebe growled, torn between what to choose. Wait, Inigo was the closest to it. "Inigo! The Crystal!" She pointed at the glowing orb, you grab it, I need to get the puppet!"

Only getting a simple thumbs-up, Phoebe half-flew, half-ran towards Pinocchio, firing bolts of energy near him, causing him to mess up on a teleportation spell. Then fully extending her wings, the winged girl landed in front of Pinocchio's path, and summoned a force field around the puppet.

"NO!" Pinocchio slammed his fists against the force field, but remembering the wand, he mustered every bit of concentration into one shot, causing the prison to break like glass.

Yet now that he had a moment to escape, he didn't.

Everything in the room stilled, even the dolls, as a scream pierced the air, a falsetto scream that could only belong to a female.

Phoebe was no longer focused on Pinocchio, instead she found her focus trained on the masked figure who hovered over Zelda's body, a dagger lifted high above the girl's now sightless eyes.

Inigo was not far away, maybe three feet from her, he didn't look good. He was bleeding heavily from the front of his chest, where several claw marks were dug into his skin, one eye was completely swollen and his face was marred by several bruise, but his one eye never left Zelda.

"I was supposed…" Inigo mumbled under his breath, a sob raking him to the very core. "Zel, no! Phoebe- she told me! Why are you so stubborn? Gods..." He dragged himself towards her only to be stopped by the masked figure.

"Stop, she's gone. I'm so sorry… I couldn't help myself," was all he explained, but to the people who didn't know who he was, they mistook this for something else entirely.

For a better understanding, that would be everyone.

Phoebe couldn't comprehend what she was doing when she decided to magically throw Pinocchio across the room. Nor did she fully comprehend that she had pulled out her sword, threw away her shield and lunged at the masked man.

"You killed her!" Phoebe viciously undercut at the boy, only to have him quickly parry back.

"I did my job!" Anthony tried to explain, receiving two more quick swings to his injured side, but he narrowly stepped out of the way each time. Oh, crap she was trying to kill him!

"What kind of job are you talking about?!" Phoebe hissed through her teeth, and with a move she hardly ever used, thrust the blade towards the figure's exposed belly.

Anthony nearly smiled underneath his mask as she caught his bluff and went for a move he was fully prepared for and quickly disarmed her like he had done with Lauren. "Phoebe, stop and think sensibly!"

"Oh, yes, do think sensibly," Pinocchio shouted, holding aloft the Crystal and all six keys.

"No," Phoebe muttered under her breath, preparing to shoot a blast at him.

"Now watch!" Pinocchio with the use of the wand, made all six keys slide into the perfect orb. "I bet you weren't expecting this!"

The Crystal became a torrent of colors as it started to expand, but as soon as it started to grow, several creatures were flung out of it: first there was an old man with half-moon spectacles, then a sharp-dressed cricket, the Blue Fairy, and a rabbit?

Laughing maniacally, Pinocchio picked up the Crystal when it slowly shrank back to it's original size. The Kingdom Keys used to free the prisoners in were now lying on the floor, right next to where the Crystal was, but the marionette didn't need to pick them up to do what he wanted to do.

Then firing a bolt of magic at each of the six keys, they all turned into blackened dust, giving no indication that the piles of ashes were ever keys.

"Bye, everyone!" Pinocchio cheered, and with his eyes suddenly glowing similarly as the Crystal, he was was slowly being absorbed into the orb.

"No!" Phoebe ran towards the marionette to try to stop him, but Anthony grabbed her arm, halting her from getting close to the puppet.

"Do you want to go where he's going?"

"What are you talking about?!" Phoebe snapped, watching in horror as the Crystal of the Magic Kingdom fell to the ground since no one was around to support it anymore, and rolled towards a still dazed Blue Fairy.

With Pinocchio gone, all the murderous dolls in the room froze and fell over, having now a little painted grin and eyes that no longer held malicious intents.

Feeling no one holding her arm anymore, Phoebe, whipped around to face the masked figure, but he was staring mournfully over Zelda.

"You stay away from her!" Phoebe stood in between her friend and the masked boy, tears streaking down her face. "Why? Why?! You just don't kill a person- especially when you were fighting on her side? What made you do that?! My God, where's your humanity, you- you…"

"What is going on here?!" Jiminy Cricket cried, looking around the unfamiliar room, his eyes turning into the size of saucers. "Who? Oh my gosh, someone's dead! Blue, look at this! Do something."

But the Blue Fairy was preoccupied as she stared warily into an old face she had not seen in over fifty years.

"I think they're over here!" Phoebe distinctly recognized Mickey's voice echo as if he was in a tunnel, but when she turned to the exit of the ride, she found not just the mouse, but Donald, Goofy, and Maleficent.

"What sorcery is this?" Maleficent mused, her focus centered on the crying Phoebe and the masked boy she was standing off against.

Mickey was the first to enter the room, but he stared not at the damage, nor the remaining Editors, nor Phoebe. No, he stared at a face he never thought he'd see again.

"Oswald?"

* * *

 **A/N: I'm not crying, you're crying. Epilogue will be up soon.**


	28. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

" _Though I fall I will rise again." - Micah 7:8_

* * *

Not an hour had passed since Phoebe, Inigo, Elise, and Drew had to report to the castle, by the summons of the Council of Magic.

Zelda's body was taken to be cleaned up and prepared for the funeral that would take place that night. Tammy would be the one, they decided since she was the closest to Zelda in all respects, to tell the unfortunate news to her family.

Lauren was still unconscious, and was currently being taken care of by nurses to see what had caused the usually healthy girl to suddenly collapse in the middle of a battle, when she was known to always put her life ahead of all her friends.

Appearing below the Council of Magic, bloodied, bruised, and scratched, with tear-stained cheeks, the remaining Editors tried to remain strong underneath the sympathetic gaze a majority of the members were giving them.

It had taken twenty minutes to retell what had occurred leading up to why Phoebe and the Editors took action, to the point where Mickey and his companions to show up.

Many questions followed, several of them becoming increasingly more difficult to answer.

"Pinocchio? If the poor boy did all this then where is he?" Fairy Godmother asked, one of the more logical questions, honestly.

"He's gone," Phoebe flatly stated. "He knew he was caught, so he freed all the prisoners to remove some of his guilt, and destroyed every key to make sure he would not be brought back. Why? I have no idea. I tried to stop him, but the masked boy- yeah, he's like not an adult, grabbed me and stopped me from interfering."

"Oh, yes," Yen Sid pondered. "You mentioned him before. Your words were that he was helping you defend your friends, but he turned on you at the last minute and killed Zelda?"

"That's not all he did!" Elise's voice rang up. "He was the one who knocked Lauren unconscious."

"Ah, yes. I do recollect seeing this boy." Maleficent exclaimed, silencing any muttering that was going on in the room. "So you say he was the one who brutally murdered your friend and knocked one of them unconscious? Anything else you would like to add to the list?"

"Um... We first encountered him dragging a screaming child. When the child bit him, the masked boy burst into flames," Elise explained. "Tammy flew to the rescue and grabbed the child before he caught on fire while Lauren threw him into the river to put him out."

"Interesting..." Yen Sid mused. "Have any of you seen the boy before? Any previous meeting?"

Drew bit her lip, feeling anxiety well up in her gut as well as sudden regret. "I-I met him when we first went to the world of Pinocchio."

Phoebe gazed intently at her sister. "You what?"

"Yeah... He was there when you turned into a fish." Drew weakly grinned, looking at everywhere but Phoebe. "He was freaky, gave me a cat, tried to steal the Blue Fairy's wand for his own, and he later- oh yeah! He made a deal with Pinocchio he gave him a minute's head start for making sure Phoebe lived... Yeah..."

"He made a deal?" Mickey prodded.

"Oh, yeah that deal was freaky. Their hands burst into blue flame when they shook, and the masked boy was being all mysterious or some crap like that, but I could tell he was doing it for the hell of it."

Murmurs of unease spread through the council, most of them coming from the good-magic users.

Hades shifted in his seat, but said nothing.

"Language," Phoebe hissed.

"Wait, he what?!" Mickey's eyes widened, sharing quick looks with Yen Sid and Merlin.

"Yeah, he said some other stuff," Drew mumbled, but remembered where she was sitting. "But I couldn't tell you what I said twenty minutes ago, much less two months ago. It just didn't make a lot of sense," Drew shrugged.

"And where did he disappear to?" Merlin inquired.

"Disappeared, like smoke," Drew answered truthfully.

"Oh, Hades, this sounds like one of _your_ minions," Maleficent coyly smiled, but her attention was to the mouse king, who was giving her a silent look of astonishment.

"Maleficent, I hate to say it," Phoebe added. "But I think your right."

Turning to the dread lord of the dead, the winged girl's gaze rested on his golden orbs. "You took quite a special interest in me back when you sent Jafar to my school, and you briefly took over a high school. I give you props since Voldemort never did that, but why?"

"Yeah," Mickey exclaimed, nodding his head in understanding. "You have had lot's of interest in Phoebe- was it far enough to concoct an elaborate scheme to use her? Did you try to get Pinocchio to steal the Crystal for you, only to have him double-cross you when you didn't fall back on your end of the deal?"

"Now, look, _babe_." Hades set his elbows on the desk in front of him, giving Mickey his full attention. "My personal business does not have to deal with yours, so please, if you really want to try to make some nut-job deducting, go on ahead. But, Mickey, you forget one so very important reason why we are meeting here. Your supposedly long-dead "brother" was found in the very Crystal you so desperately wanted to get back. But, why? Why all these secrets? Why pin the whole shebang on me, when we should really be asking who put one of your greatest supporters in a prison for what sixty years? and hey where is your big bro-"

"Enough!" Phoebe silenced the two arguing males, before Mickey and Hades were at each others throats. Calming down a bit Phoebe proceeded, "It looks like our services are no longer needed here. We are in a period of mourning. So thank you for your "trial," we shall be leaving now."

"What?!" Yen Sid cried. "Phoebe, you're still the leader, here. You did it, you stopped the problem. You found the Crystal, the missing wand, and stopped the Kingdom from falling."

"No, _I_ did not! It was a _we_ effort! But y'all seem to be forgetting that!" Phoebe nearly screamed, sudden emotion echoed through her core. "And Hades I swear to God, after this I will investigate everything about your underworld business deals with the living, and I will make sure you stay out of here. You've ruined enough. And Yen Sid, Mickey- I'm sorry, but I will not be returning as Council leader, nor to the Council at all."

Everyone in the room had to stifle a gasp, all of them looking to Mickey for some kind of reaction.

The mouse king was at a loss for words, but Phoebe could see his mind was racing by the look of concentration on his face. "Go, Phoebe. You and your friends deserve some peace. Come back in three months time. May your heart and soul be rested, for it looks like you don't need us as much anymore."

Phoebe nodded once in respect. "Thank you. C'mon, guys, we have a friend to bury."

The four of them walked away from the room, not a single one looking back, for they knew they would return, but hopefully it would not be for a long time.

* * *

As children we have been known to not understand fully the meaning of loss. We understand some of it like how we'll never see our loved ones again, but it is those especially close to us, the ones that we cannot live without, that make the meaning of the word something else entirely. It is almost a rite of passage when we experience our first real loss, a loss so soul-shattering that we never ever forget. An ache, a hole that can never be filled, no matter how hard one tries.

So when it was that Phoebe and the remainder of the Editors had to bury their friend, the feeling was an experience that all of them shared together, but the loss was felt even greater when the news was told to Zelda's family.

How would you feel, dear reader, to approach the family of the friend you too had considered family that their child would never come home? Telling this news especially to a single mother without a husband and now without her eldest child, Mrs. Sawyer along with her two sons and other daughter were left to bury their own.

What remained of the Editors were there to help bury their friend, at night they decided for they felt the atmosphere represented their mood quite well.

No one else was allowed to come, it was a family burial, and family she would be buried by. But still little bowls floated toward the island, with lit candles to show their full respects to the notorious leader of the Editors. Even the hated mermaids sang a dirge for them, forgetting about the feud between the Islanders.

Once renowned criminal to now acclaimed hero because of her noble death to save children, to save the kingdom, and to save her friends. And sometimes we forget that that to die for ones friends is the greatest of loves.

Mickey as a sign of respect for Zelda, sent with his signature all land rights to the Sawyer Family, and proclaimed them their own country. Small, though it was, is and always would be Zelda's last and final wish. And as thanks to the Editors, all charges held against them previous to the Battle Of Small World were now wiped away from the records.

But even with all these gifts it would never be enough to replace Zelda Sawyer, an Editor, agent of Fate, a daughter, sister, and friend.

The happiest place on earth, just became a whole lot darker, and change was coming.

Oh yes, everyone could feel it.

For the East Wind is coming.

* * *

That night, Phoebe returned home to her own family. The first thing she did was run downstairs to see her mother, and hugged her fiercely.

It was the first time, Phoebe had given her mom a hug, maybe before the whole magic thing.

 _"Mijita, que paso?"_ Her mother hugged her back just as lovingly, but nearly flinched at what she felt along her daughter's back

"Mom..." Phoebe could not help the tears that were streaming down her face. There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

* * *

 ** _"Run boy run! This ride is a journey to_**  
 ** _Run boy run! The secret inside of you_**  
 ** _Run boy run! This race is a prophecy_**  
 ** _Run boy run! And disappear in the trees_**

 ** _Tomorrow is another day_**  
 ** _And you won't have to hide away_**  
 ** _You'll be a man, boy!_**  
 ** _But for now it's time to run, it's time to run!"_**

 ** _\- Run, boy, Run by_** ** _Woodkid_**

* * *

 **A/N: It's been fun, but this book is officially done. The next book will be out hopefully soon and will definitely be shorter than this one. Thanks for the support everyone!**

 **Update: Sequel is out! Look out for Prisoner of Dreams**

 **Angel of H-d out!**


End file.
